creuser

creuser [kʀøze]

➭ TABLE 1

1. transitive verb

   a. [+ bois, falaise] to hollow out ; [+ sol, roc] to dig a hole in ; (au marteau-piqueur) to drill a hole in

   b. [+ puits, fondations, canal, tranchée] to dig ; [+ sillon] to plough (Brit), to plow (US) ; [+ trou] to dig ; (au marteau-piqueur) to drill

• creuser un tunnel sous une montagne to bore a tunnel under a mountain

• creuser un terrier to make a burrow

   c. ( = approfondir) [+ problème, sujet] to go into

• c'est une idée à creuser it's an idea worth pursuing

   d. creuser les reins to throw out one's chest

• la promenade, ça creuse (l'estomac) (inf) walking gives you a real appetite

• creuser l'écart to establish a convincing lead (par rapport à over)

2. reflexive verb

► se creuser

   a. [joues, visage] to become gaunt

• la mer se creuse there's a swell coming on

• l'écart se creuse entre eux the gap between them is widening

   b. [personne] se creuser (la cervelle or la tête) (inf) to rack one's brains

• il ne s'est pas beaucoup creusé ! (inf) he didn't exactly overexert himself!

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kʀøze
1.

verbe transitif

1) (ôter de la matière dans) [personne] to dig a hole in [terre]; to hollow out [tronc, fruit]; to drill a hole in [dent]; to dig into [roche]; [mer, eau] to eat into, to erode [falaise]

2) (pratiquer) to dig [trou, canal, tombe, terrier]; to sink [puits]; to plough GB, to plow US [sillon] (dans in); [rivière] to hollow out [lit]

3) (marquer) [rides] to furrow [front, visage]

elle avait le visage creusé par la faim/le chagrin — her face was gaunt with hunger/grief

4) (accentuer la cambrure de)

creuser le dos or les reins — to arch one's back

5) (accentuer) to deepen, to increase [déficit, fossé]

creuser l'écart entre — to widen the gap between

6) (approfondir) [personne] to go into [something] in depth [sujet, théorie]

2.

verbe intransitif

creuser dans la roche — to dig into the rock

3.

se creuser verbe pronominal [joues, visage] to become hollow; [mer, vagues] to be whipped up; [rides] to deepen; [écart] to widen

••

ça creuse — (colloq) it really gives you an appetite

se creuser (la tête or la cervelle) — (colloq) to rack one's brains

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kʀøze

1. vt

1) [trou, tunnel] to dig

2) [sol] to dig a hole in, [bois] to hollow out

3) fig to go into, to go deeply into

2. vi

ça creuse — it gives you a real appetite

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creuser verb table: aimer

A vtr

1 (ôter de la matière dans) [personne] to dig a hole in [terre]; to hollow out [tronc, fruit]; to drill a hole in [dent]; [bulldozer] to dig into [roche]; [mer, eau] to eat into, to erode [falaise, rochers]; [ver] to burrow through [terre];

2 (pratiquer) [personne] to dig [trou, souterrain, tombe, fossé]; to sink [puits, fondations]; to cut, to dig [canal, tunnel]; to plough GB, to plow US [sillon] (dans in); [lapin, renard] to dig [terrier]; [rivière] to hollow out [lit]; creuser un trou à la pelleteuse to dig a hole with a mechanical digger; creuser sa propre tombe lit, fig to dig one's own grave;

3 (marquer) [rides] to furrow [front, visage]; elle avait le visage creusé par la faim/le chagrin/l'épuisement her face was gaunt with hunger/grief/exhaustion;

4 (accentuer la cambrure de) creuser le dos or les reins to arch one's back;

5 (accentuer) to deepen, to increase [déficit, fossé, inégalités]; creuser l'écart entre to widen the gap between;

6 (approfondir) [personne] to go into [sth] in depth, to research [question, sujet, théorie]; vous ne creusez pas assez votre analyse your analysis does not go far enough; si tu creuses un peu, tu t'aperçois vite que if you scratch the surface you soon realize that.

B vi creuser dans la craie/la roche/l'argile to dig into the chalk/the rock/the clay.

C se creuser vpr

1 (devenir concave) [joues, visage] to become hollow; [mer, vagues] to be whipped up;

2 (s'accentuer) [rides] to deepen; [écart, différence] to widen.

Idiomes

ça creuse○ it really gives you an appetite; se creuser (la tête or la cervelle)○ to rack one's brains.

[krøze] verbe transitif

1. [excaver - puits, mine] to dig, to sink ; [ - canal] to dig, to cut ; [ - tranchée] to dig, to excavate ; [ - sillon] to plough ; [ - passage souterrain, tunnel] to make, to bore, to dig

creuser un trou

{{ind}}a. [à la pelle] to dig a hole

{{ind}}b. [en grattant] to scratch a hole

la rivière a creusé son lit the river has hollowed out its bed

creuser sa propre tombe (figuré) to dig one's own grave

ça a creusé un abîme ou fossé entre eux this has opened up a gulf between them

creuser sa tombe avec ses dents to eat oneself into an early grave

2. [faire un trou dans - généralement] to hollow (out) ; [ - avec une cuillère] to scoop (out)

creuser la terre to dig (a hole in) the earth

3. [ployer]

creuser les reins ou le dos to arch one's back

creuser la taille to exaggerate one's waist

4. [marquer - traits du visage]

joues creusées par la souffrance cheeks sunken with pain

le visage creusé par la fatigue his face hollow with fatigue

5. (familier) [ouvrir l'appétit de] to make hungry

la marche m'a creusé (l'estomac) the walk gave me an appetite ou whetted my appetite ou made me feel hungry

(en usage absolu)

les émotions, ça creuse! (humoristique) excitement gives you an appetite!

6. [approfondir - idée] to look ou to go into (inseparable) ; [ - problème, question] to look ou to delve into (inseparable)

(en usage absolu)

il paraît intelligent, mais il vaut mieux ne pas creuser (trop loin) he seems intelligent, but it might be better not to go into it too deeply

7. COUTURE [décolleté] to make deeper ou lower

[emmanchure] to make bigger

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se creuser verbe pronominal (emploi réfléchi)

tu ne t'es pas beaucoup creusé pour écrire ce texte! you didn't overtax yourself when you wrote this text!

se creuser la tête ou la cervelle (familier) to rack one's brains

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se creuser verbe pronominal intransitif

1. [yeux, visage] to grow hollow

[joues] to grow gaunt ou hollow

[fossettes, rides] to appear

la mer commence à se creuser the sea's starting to swell

2. [augmenter - écart] to grow bigger

le fossé entre eux se creuse the gap between them is widening