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carrefour

noun
car·​re·​four | \ ˌker-ə-ˈfu̇r How to pronounce carrefour (audio) , ˌka-rə-\

Definition of carrefour

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1 : crossroads
2 : square, plaza the farmers … preferred the open carrefour for their transactions— Thomas Hardy

Carrefour

geographical name
Carre·​four | \ ˌkär-ˈfu̇r How to pronounce Carrefour (audio) \

Definition of Carrefour (Entry 2 of 2)

residential city west of Port-au-Prince in southern Haiti population 430,000
Synonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about carrefour

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Did You Know?

An interesting thing about "carrefour" is that even though the second half of the word contains the number "four," it is actually the first half of the word that derives from the Latin word for "four." Carrefour derives via Middle French from Late Latin quadrifurcus, an adjective meaning "having four forks," formed by combining Latin quadri- ("four") and "furca" ("fork"). "Carrefour" has been a part of the English language since the 15th century. It once referred to an intersection of four roads at a single point, but later came to refer to any public square or plaza. "Carfax," a similar word that also derives from "quadrifurcus," can be found in some British place names, such as the primary intersection in the city of Oxford, England.

Examples of carrefour in a Sentence

Noun

 our hotel in Montreal was adjacent to a noisy carrefour

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

 Youssouf, who’s been in Spain for 14 years, calls Lepe a carrefour, a crossroads. — Cynthia Gorney, National Geographic, "African migrants in Europe trade one hardship for another," 25 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'carrefour.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of carrefour

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for carrefour

Noun

Middle French, from Late Latin quadrifurcum, neuter of quadrifurcus having four forks, from Latin quadri- + furca fork

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More from Merriam-Webster on carrefour

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with carrefour

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for carrefour

Nglish: Translation of carrefour for Spanish Speakers

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