tremplin

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian trempellino, from trempellare, from an unidentified Germanic form. Compare Middle Low German, Middle High German trampeln, Middle English trample.

Attested since 1680 while Italian trampolino is only attested since early 19th century.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tʁɑ̃.plɛ̃/

Noun

tremplin m (plural tremplins)

1. (diving) springboard
2. (gymnastics) springboard
3. (figuratively) springboard (something to jumpstart or boost e.g. a career)
   • 2023 May, Luis Alberto Reygada, quoting Alejandro Simonoff, “Le rêve progressiste, et libre-échangiste, de la gauche latina”, in Le Monde diplomatique, page 9:

     »Avec une approche “solidariste”, le Mercosur peut devenir un tremplin efficace pour que ses membres acquièrent plus d’autonomie, plus de marges de manœuvre au sein du système international […]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

4. (skiing) ski jump

Related terms

• trampoline

Further reading

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