What does becasse mean?
Becasse is an English borrowing from French meaning a woodcock, particularly when the bird is regarded as food. Woodcocks are woodland game birds with long bills and rich, dark flesh that has long been prized by cooks; in classic French cuisine the bird is traditionally roasted undrawn and served on toast spread with its crushed innards, a preparation famously celebrated by gourmets such as Grimod de la Reynière. In English, the term appears chiefly in culinary writing, menus, and translations of French texts, where it lends an air of gastronomic refinement that the plain English name 'woodcock' does not carry. Outside these contexts it is uncommon, and most readers will encounter it only through cookery books. Because the word is rare and foreign-flavoured, writers typically italicise it, and readers unfamiliar with it may mistake it for an adjective or a proper name rather than the name of a bird.
nounA woodcock, especially when considered as a bird for the table or in gastronomic contexts. The word is a borrowing from French and appears chiefly in culinary writing.
- The woodcock (Scolopax rusticola), especially as game for the table.
"The chef roasted the becasse whole and served it with its traditional accompaniment of toast spread with the crushed innards."
"The game dealer had hung the becasse for several days to develop its flavour."
"In old French cookbooks, becasse was prized above almost all other game birds."
The plural simply adds -s, following normal English practice despite the French origin.
"The shoot bag included three becasses and a dozen pheasants."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of becasse
The word comes from French bécasse, which denotes the woodcock and derives from bec, meaning 'beak', ultimately from Latin beccus, a Gaulish loanword. It entered English as a specialist culinary and sporting term, retaining its French form. Its French cognates include bécassine, applied to snipes and related waders.
How becasse is actually used
Rarely used in modern English outside of gastronomic writing and menus; 'woodcock' is the ordinary English name for the bird. The word is sometimes italicised as a foreign term.