contretemps Hear it!

contretemps definition

contre·temps (kän′trə tän′, kōn′-; Fr kōn trə tän′)

noun pl. contretemps -·temps′ (-tän′, -tänz′; Fr., -tän′)

an inopportune happening causing confusion or embarrassment; awkward mishap

Etymology: Fr, altered (infl. by contre, opposite & temps, time) < OFr contrestant, prp. of contrester < VL *contrastare, contrast

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.