abreuvoir means A cold water drinking fountain (for people) typically found in a public location; more generally, any fountain or water source (including for animals like birds, horses etc). Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 88 out of 100.
abreuvoir is pronounced /əbɹuːˈvwɑː(ɹ)/.
Why “abreuvoir” is a great word
ABREUVOIR — [Noun] A public drinking fountain or trough for watering animals, or, in masonry, the joint between stones to be filled with mortar. Borrowed from French abreuvoir, meaning 'a watering place'. Unlike a fontaine (which suggests an ornamental civic structure) or a trough (a generic container lacking the architectural sense), an abreuvoir is an artifact of humble, essential utility. It is the cool, moss-stained basin in a dusty village square, the worn stone channel where horses lower their heads at dusk, and the deliberate, empty gap between blocks of ashlar awaiting its gritty slurry. Each is a patient receptacle for a fundamental need—a quiet testament to the provision of sustenance, whether for body, beast, or building.
noun
- A cold water drinking fountain (for people) typically found in a public location; more generally, any fountain or water source (including for animals like birds, horses etc).
- The joint or interstice between stones, to be filled with mortar.