baisemain

See also: baise-main

French

Alternative forms

baise-main

Etymology

From baiser +‎ main.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /bɛz.mɛ̃/

Noun

baisemain m (plural baisemains)

(historical) in feudalism, homage which the vassal used to give to the fief seigneur, by kissing his hand
polite manner to greet or leave a lady, by kissing her hand, hand-kissing.

Derived terms

À belles baisemains : f pl (archaic) With a great submission.

Further reading

“baisemain” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.