sans-culotte
[ sanz-kyoo-lot, -koo-; French sahn-ky-lawt ]
/ ˌsænz kyʊˈlɒt, -kʊ-; French sɑ̃ küˈlɔt /
noun, plural sans-cu·lottes [sanz-kyoo-lots, -koo-; French sahn-ky-lawt] /ˌsænz kyʊˈlɒts, -kʊ-; French sɑ̃ küˈlɔt/.
(in the French Revolution) a revolutionary of the poorer class: originally a term of contempt applied by the aristocrats but later adopted as a popular name by the revolutionaries.
any extreme republican or revolutionary.
Origin of sans-culotte
1780–90; < French: literally, without knee breeches
OTHER WORDS FROM sans-culotte
sans-cu·lot·tic [sanz-kyoo-lot-ik, -koo-] /ˌsænz kyʊˈlɒt ɪk, -kʊ-/, adjective sans-cu·lot·tish, adjective sans-cu·lot·tism, noun sans-cu·lot·tist, nounWords nearby sans-culotte
sans doute,
sans gêne,
sans peur et sans reproche,
sans serif,
sans souci,
sans-culotte,
sans.,
sansei,
sansevieria,
sansk.,
sanskrit
Example sentences from the Web for sans-culotte
British Dictionary definitions for sans-culotte
sans-culotte
/ (ˌsænzkjʊˈlɒt, French sɑ̃kylɔt) /
noun
(during the French Revolution)
- (originally) a revolutionary of the poorer class
- (later) any revolutionary, esp one having extreme republican sympathies
any revolutionary extremist
Derived forms of sans-culotte
sans-culottism, noun sans-culottist, nounWord Origin for sans-culotte
C18: from French, literally: without knee breeches, because the revolutionaries wore pantaloons or trousers rather than knee breeches