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C2  ·  30 words

Tanning in French

Skin is turned into leather so that it will not rot.

Practise this list

From these 30 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.

More about this list

The list opens with la peau brute, and the adjective on it is the one an English reader mistranslates without noticing, because the word is already in English and says something else there. Brut means raw, unworked, straight from the source: le pétrole brut, un diamant brut, des données brutes. From there it took a second job in accounting, where it means before anything has been taken off — le salaire brut, le poids brut — and its opposite in that employment is net, which English borrowed while leaving brut behind and saying « gross » in its place. What English did take is « brute », the noun for a savage animal or a violent man. The two words go back to one Latin adjective, but the branches parted long ago, and French keeps a noun of its own on the other one: une brute is a thug. So the trap is narrow. The adjective in la peau brute is the raw one, and brut de décoffrage, said first of concrete left as the formwork made it, is what French calls a person who says things without softening them.

The words

Noun (f) (7)

Grammar for these: Definite article: le, la, les · Indefinite article: un, une

la peau brutethe raw hideNoun (f)C2
La peau brute pourrit en quelques heures à la chaleur.A raw hide rots within hours in the heat.
la conservation par le selthe salt curingNoun (f)C2
La conservation par le sel arrête la putréfaction.Salt curing stops the rot.
la teinture du cuirthe dyeing of the leatherNoun (f)C2
La teinture du cuir se fait au foulon.The leather is dyed in the drum.
la fleur corrigéethe corrected grainNoun (f)C2
La fleur corrigée est poncée puis imprimée.A corrected grain is buffed and then embossed.
la récupération du chromethe chrome recoveryNoun (f)C2
La récupération du chrome renvoie le sel au bain.Chrome recovery returns the salt to the bath.
la traçabilité des peauxthe traceability of the hidesNoun (f)C2
La traçabilité des peaux remonte jusqu’à l’élevage.Traceability of hides reaches back to the farm.
l’odeur de la tanneriethe smell of the tanneryNoun (f)C2
L’odeur de la tannerie porte loin dans le quartier.The smell of the tannery carries far into the neighbourhood.

Noun (m) (23)

Grammar for these: Definite article: le, la, les · Indefinite article: un, une

le reverdissagethe soakingNoun (m)C2
Le reverdissage rend à la peau son eau.Soaking gives the hide back its water.
l’épilagethe unhairingNoun (m)C2
L’épilage détache le poil de la peau.Unhairing loosens the hair from the hide.
l’écharnagethe fleshingNoun (m)C2
L’écharnage enlève la graisse restée au dos.Fleshing takes off the fat left on the back.
le déchaulagethe delimingNoun (m)C2
Le déchaulage prépare la peau au tannage.Deliming makes the hide ready for tanning.
le tannage au chromethe chrome tanningNoun (m)C2
Le tannage au chrome se fait en une journée.Chrome tanning is done in a single day.
le tannage végétalthe vegetable tanningNoun (m)C2
Le tannage végétal demande des semaines.Vegetable tanning takes weeks.
le tannage en fossethe pit tanningNoun (m)C2
Le tannage en fosse laisse la peau très longtemps dans le bain.Pit tanning leaves the hide in the liquor for a very long time.
le wet-bluethe wet blueNoun (m)C2
Le wet-blue se vend et se transporte humide.Wet blue is sold and shipped damp.
le refendagethe splittingNoun (m)C2
Le refendage sépare la fleur de la croûte.Splitting separates the grain from the flesh split.
le dérayagethe shavingNoun (m)C2
Le dérayage met le cuir à l’épaisseur voulue.Shaving brings the leather to the thickness wanted.
le retannagethe retanningNoun (m)C2
Le retannage règle la main du cuir.Retanning sets the handle of the leather.
le nourrissagethe fatliquoringNoun (m)C2
Le nourrissage rend le cuir souple.Fatliquoring makes the leather supple.
le mode de séchagethe drying methodNoun (m)C2
Le mode de séchage décide de la surface obtenue.The drying method decides the area obtained.
le foulonnagethe drummingNoun (m)C2
Le foulonnage assouplit le cuir par le mouvement.Drumming softens the leather by movement.
le côté fleurthe grain sideNoun (m)C2
Le côté fleur porte le dessin naturel de la peau.The grain side carries the natural pattern of the hide.
le cuir pleine fleurthe full-grain leatherNoun (m)C2
Le cuir pleine fleur garde toutes les cicatrices.Full-grain leather keeps every scar.
le daimthe suedeNoun (m)C2
Le daim se travaille du côté chair.Suede is worked on the flesh side.
le finissagethe finishingNoun (m)C2
Le finissage dépose une couche mince sur la surface.Finishing lays a thin coat on the surface.
le classement des cuirsthe grading of the hidesNoun (m)C2
Le classement des cuirs se fait à la lumière du jour.Hides are graded in daylight.
les effluents de tanneriethe tannery effluentNoun (m)C2
Les effluents de tannerie passent par plusieurs bassins.Tannery effluent passes through several tanks.
le cuir sans chromethe chrome-free leatherNoun (m)C2
Le cuir sans chrome se reconnaît à sa couleur claire.Chrome-free leather is known by its pale colour.
le sous-produit de la viandethe by-product of the meat tradeNoun (m)C2
Le sous-produit de la viande ne se produit pas pour lui-même.A by-product of the meat trade is not made for its own sake.
le similicuirthe imitation leatherNoun (m)C2
Le similicuir n’a ni pores ni fleur.Imitation leather has neither pores nor grain.

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