hauteur

Etymology

From French.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /oʊˈtɝ/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɔːˈtɜː/, /əʊˈtɜː/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)
• Homophone: auteur

Noun

hauteur (countable and uncountable, plural hauteurs)

1. Haughtiness or arrogance; loftiness.
   • 1960, P. G. Wodehouse, Jeeves in the Offing chapter XII

     “What's happened, young Herring?” I think for a moment he was about to draw himself up with hauteur and say he would prefer, if we didn't mind, not to discuss his private affairs, but when he was half-way up he caught Aunt Dahlia's eye and returned to position one.

   • 1992, Joyce Carol Oates, Black Water, Penguin Books, paperback edition, page 31

     […] as, indeed, a new subject presented itself now, "Here's our turn!" braking the Toyota and turning the wheel sharply without having had time to signal so, close behind them, an angered motorist sounded his horn, but The Senator took no heed: not out of arrogance or hauteur but, simply, because he took no heed.

Etymology

haut +‎ -eur

Pronunciation

• ^{(aspirated h)} IPA^(key): /o.tœʁ/

• Audio (France, Paris)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -œʁ
• Homophones: auteur, auteurs, hauteurs

Noun

hauteur f (plural hauteurs)

1. height, altitude

   La hauteur du Mont Everest est de 8.848 mètres.

2. arrogance
3. (geometry) height

   La hauteur d'un parallélogramme est perpendiculaire à sa base.

4. (music) pitch

Further reading

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