épouvantail (nf)
- objet, mannequin disposé dans les champs, dans les arbres, pour effrayer les oiseaux et les faire fuir (scarecrow)
- familièrement personne présentant un aspect extérieur repoussant (bogey, bugbear)
- quelqu’un ou quelque chose qui effraie sans raison (fright)
[source]
For some reason we were talking about scarecrows or épouvantails at the French conversation group last night. It’s not a word that comes up in conversation very often, but I like the sound of it.
Related words include:
- épouvantable = terrible, appalling, dreadful
- épouvantablement = terribly, appallingly, dreadfully
- épouvante = terror, fear
– saisi d’épouvante = terror-stricken
– roman/film d’épouvante = horror story/film
Words for scarecrow in other languages include:
- Chinese – 稻草人 (dàocǎorén) = “straw man”
- German – Vogelscheuche (bird shooer); Strohmann (straw man); Strohpuppe (straw doll/puppet)
- Irish – babhdán – also means bogey man
- Italian – spaventapasseri = “scare sparrows”
- Japanese – かかし [鹿驚] (kakashi) = “deer surpriser”
- Spanish – espantapájaros = “bird scarer”
- Welsh – bwgan brain = “crows bogey/spook”