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rodéo

rodeo

noun roh-DEH-oh Rare

Origin: Borrowed from Spanish/American English 'rodeo'.

Also means

wild chase, mayhem

Usage Note

rodéo refers to the cowboy sport but is also used colloquially to describe a reckless or chaotic car chase or situation: un rodéo urbain (an illegal street race). This figurative use has become common in French news reporting. Plural: rodéos.

Examples

"Le rodéo urbain devant l'école a choqué les habitants."

Natural Translation

The illegal street race in front of the school shocked residents.

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