perdu
1
9.9
- adjective
- /pərˈdü/
- Archaic
- In the old novel, a perdu agent gathered information behind enemy lines.
Examples
-
The treasure was kept perdu in a secret chamber beneath the castle.
-
He found a perdu stash of documents in the old attic.
-
The soldier remained perdu in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to act.
-
The perdu treasure was finally discovered after many years.
-
The soldier remained perdu in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to act.
-
The treasure was kept perdu in a secret chamber beneath the castle.
-
He found a perdu stash of documents in the old attic.
Synonyms
801
1.1
A thing that is not easily seen or found
136
5.7
Hidden and done secretly to avoid being found by authorities
129
6.8
Done secretly to avoid being seen or known
95
3.7
Hidden so people cannot see it
45
5.3
A secret place where someone stays to avoid being found by police or enemies
40
8.2
Kept secret because it is illegal or not allowed
31
6.0
Most people do not know about it
26
7.5
People keep it secret from most others to avoid being noticed
7
8.5
Done secretly because people would disapprove
Surface Forms
Etymology
Perdu comes from the French verb perdre, which means 'to lose', so perdu originally meant 'lost'. People then used perdu to mean 'hidden' or 'in hiding', like a soldier who cannot be seen, and that is why it describes someone kept secret or concealed.