patience

Etymology

From Middle English pacience, from Old French pacience (modern: patience), from Latin patientia. Displaced native Middle English thuld, thuild (“patience”) (from Old English þyld (“patience”)), Middle English thole (“patience”) (from Old Norse þol (“patience, endurance”)), Middle English bilǣfing, bileaving (“patience, perseverance, remaining”) (from Old English belǣfan (“to endure, survive”)).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpeɪʃəns/

• Audio (US-Inland North)

  (file)

Noun

patience (usually uncountable, plural patiences)

1. The quality of being patient.
2. Any of various card games that can be played by one person. Called solitaire in the US. (card game).

See also

• clock patience
• garden patience

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pa.sjɑ̃s/

• audio

  (file)

Noun

patience f (plural patiences)

1. Patience

Further reading

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