bœuf

See also: boeuf

French

Etymology

From Middle French bœuf, from Old French buef, boef, from Latin bovem, accusative of bōs (“ox”). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷṓws. The music sense derives from the expression “faire un Bœuf”, after the Parisian cabaret-bar Le Bœuf sur le toit where jam sessions where held.[1]

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /bœf/
  • audio(file)
  • Audio (Paris)(file)
  • Rhymes: -œf

Noun

bœuf m (plural bœufs)

  1. ox
  2. beef
  3. (music) jam session
    faire un bœuf ― to have a jam session
  4. (Quebec, slang, derogatory) A police officer; a pig.
    • 1996, Chrystine Brouillet, C'est pour mieux t'aimer, mon enfant, →ISBN, page 79:
      "T'a peut-être fait quelque chose de croche. Si toi tu le sais pas, les bœufs le savent, eux."
      "Maybe you did something wrong. Even if you don't know, the pigs will."

References

  1. ↑ Daniella Thompson (accessed February 7, 2017), “How the Ox got its name, and other Parisian legends”, in The Boeuf chronicles, Pt. 5‎

Further reading

Middle French

Etymology

From Old French buef, boef, from Latin bos, bovem.

Noun

bœuf m (plural bœufs)

  1. ox (animal)
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