mitraillette

French

Etymology

From mitrailleuse, with substitution of suffix (mitrailler +‎ -ette).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mi.tʁa.jɛt/ ~ /mi.tʁɑ.jɛt/

• Audio (Paris):

  (file)

Noun

mitraillette f (plural mitraillettes)

1. submachine gun
   • 1968, Serge Gainsbourg (lyrics and music), “Bonnie and Clyde”, in Initials B.B., performed by Serge Gainsbourg ft. Brigitte Bardot:

     Dans les trois jours, voilà le tac, tac, tac / Des mitraillettes qui reviennent à l’attaque

     Within three days, there's the rat-a-tat-tat / Of machine guns [literally "submachine guns"] back on the attack

2. (Belgium) sandwich with meat and French fries

Further reading

• “mitraillette”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.