corbeau

== English == === Etymology === Borrowed from French corbeau m (“raven”). Doublet of corbel. === Noun === corbeau (plural corbeaux) The black vulture, Coragyps atratus. (historical) A man who carts away the dead plague victims. A very dark shade of green, almost black. ==== Related terms ==== corbie == French == === Etymology === Inherited from Middle French corbeau m, from Old French corbel m, itself either a diminutive of corp m (“raven”), or from a Late Latin corbellus, corvellus m, from Latin corvus m (Vulgar Latin variant *corbus m). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /kɔʁ.bo/ === Noun === corbeau m (plural corbeaux, feminine corbelle) raven, crow (bird) poison-pen letter writer (architecture, masonry) corbel (astronomy) Corvus (historical) body collector (during a plague) (historical) corvus (grappling hook used by the Romans in naval warfare) (dated, derogatory) priest (viticulture) douce noir (a variety of grape) ==== Usage notes ==== Like the English word raven, corbeau refers most strictly to the common raven (Corvus corax), but is also used in the vernacular names of various species in the genus Corvus. However, corbeau is used more broadly than raven, and encompasses some species which are known in English as crows. In colloquial usage it may refer to crows, rooks, and other black corvids like jackdaws and choughs. ==== Derived terms ==== corbeau de nuit corbeau freux ==== Descendants ==== Mauritian Creole: korbo → English: corbeau === Further reading === “corbeau”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012 == Middle French == === Etymology === From Old French corbel m. === Noun === corbeau m (plural corbeaulx) crow (bird) ==== Descendants ==== French: corbeau mMauritian Creole: korbo→ English: corbeau → English: corbie → Scots: corbie