Usage Note
Verrou is the sliding bolt you slide across a door, distinct from a serrure (lock with a key). The phrase mettre le verrou means to bolt the door, and sous les verrous (behind bolts) means 'behind bars', i.e. in prison. The plural is verrous.
Examples
"Il a mis le verrou avant de dormir."
Natural Translation
He bolted the door before sleeping.
Literal Translation
He put the bolt before sleeping.

Free starter pack
Building your French vocabulary?
Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.
Related Words
Explore French by topic
FrenchNow
6 min read