garcon
garcon Lexical Profile
garcon Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A male waiter in a French restaurant, hotel, or cafe (often used as a form of address, though now dated or jocular).
"The garcon deftly balanced three plates of croissants and a carafe of coffee as he navigated the crowded patio."
A boy, youth, or young man, especially in a French cultural context.
"In the novel, the young garcon spends his summer afternoons exploring the cobblestone streets of Montmartre."
Word Nuance & Usage
Although historically used by English-speaking tourists to summon a waiter in French restaurants, addressing waitstaff as "garcon" (or "garçon") in modern France is considered condescending and offensive.
• Rhymes for garcon
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from French garçon ('boy, male servant, waiter'), from Old French garçun, which ultimately derives from Frankish *wrakjo ('mercenary, attendant, page').