étanche

watertight, waterproof

adjective ay-TAHNSH Rare

Origin: Old French estanche, from estanchier (to stop a flow)

Also means

airtight (sealed)

Usage Note

Étanche is used for watches, hulls, containers, and seals that keep water (or other fluids) out. The extended sense 'airtight' appears in compartiment étanche and figuratively in cloisonnement étanche (rigid separation of domains). The noun is l'étanchéité (waterproofness).

Examples

"Ma montre est étanche jusqu'à 50 mètres."

Natural Translation

My watch is waterproof to 50 metres.

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