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beaucoup - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

Borrowed from French beaucoup, early 20th century. Popularized by American GIs during the Vietnam War.

  • IPA(key): /boʊˈkuː/, /ˈbuːkuː/
  • Rhymes: -uː
  • Hyphenation: beau‧coup

beaucoup

  1. (US, especially Louisiana, informal) Much, many, a lot of.

    You know that cost beaucoup bucks!

beaucoup (plural beaucoups)

  1. An abundance.

beaucoup (not comparable)

  1. In abundance.
Je suis une brave poule de guerre / Je mange peu et produis beaucoup — I am a fine war-hen / I eat little and produce much

Inherited from Old French biau cop, first attested circa 1210.[1] Equivalent to beau (nice, beautiful) +‎ coup (hit, strike). The latter word also means “helping of soup or beverage”, first attested circa 1375, whose sense may have triggered or reinforced beaucoup to mean “a lot”.

beaucoup

  1. much, very much, a lot [with de ‘of’]
    Merci beaucoup!Thank you very much!
    Je mange beaucoup.I eat a lot.
    On connaît beaucoup de gens.We know a lot of people.
  2. (Louisiana) very
    Synonym: très
    Un beaucoup vieux homme.A very old man.
  1. ^ Claude Buridant Grammaire nouvelle de l'ancien français, 2000. →ISBN