élance
concept
3 mentions
1 recordings
first heard Aug 2026
last heard 4 Aug
↑3 vs the 6 months before
Historical French verb meaning to throw or rush
Trend
Peak in the week of 3 Aug — 3 mentions across 1 series.
Moments
newest first · ▶ plays the momentPeter SokolowskiMerriam-Webster's Word of the Day · élan · 1:05 · 4 Aug
…Elance enjoyed only a short flight in English, falling into disuse by the mid-1800s, around which time English speakers picked up élan, another French word that traces back via the Middle French noun élan, meaning to rush, to élancer.…
Peter SokolowskiMerriam-Webster's Word of the Day · élan · 0:58 · 4 Aug
…Élance came from the Middle French s'élancer, meaning to rush, that is, to hurl oneself forth.…
Peter SokolowskiMerriam-Webster's Word of the Day · élan · 0:49 · 4 Aug
…We had, however, the verb élance, meaning to throw, which was used for the launching of darts, javelins, and similar weaponry.…
All 3 moments