épouvantail

== French == === Etymology === From épouvanter +‎ -ail. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /e.pu.vɑ̃.taj/ === Noun === épouvantail m (plural épouvantails) scarecrow (effigy to scare birds) (figurative) scarecrow, bogeyman (something terrifying but not necessarily dangerous) === Further reading === “épouvantail”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012