Meaning & use
french window
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountableBritish
A tall glass door, usually one of a pair, that opens onto a garden, balcony or patio.
Grammar: Countable and often plural: French windows, since they usually come in pairs.
Patterns
- french windows onto something
- french windows leading to something
The living room has a french window opening onto the garden.
She pushed open the french windows and stepped onto the terrace.
Sunlight poured through the french windows into the kitchen.
Word forms
| plural | french windows |
|---|
Common combinations
- open the french windows
- Please open the french windows to let in some air.
- french windows onto the garden
- The dining room has french windows onto the garden.
- glass french windows
- Glass french windows brighten the whole room.
- double french windows
- Double french windows lead out to the balcony.
- close the french windows
- Close the french windows before you leave.
Synonyms and how they differ
- French doors
- French doors is the usual American term, and it is also widely understood in Britain.
- patio doors
- Patio doors often slide and may be a single large pane, whereas french windows swing open in a pair.
- glass doors
- Glass doors is a broad term that includes many styles, not only the tall paired type.
Word family
- window noun
- an opening in a wall with glass
- windowpane noun
- a single sheet of glass in a window
- windowsill noun
- the ledge at the bottom of a window
Commonly confused: french window or sash window?
french window vs sash window
A sash window slides up and down in a frame, whereas french windows swing open like doors.
Practice
We stepped through the ___ from the living room straight onto the lawn.
Choose one answer.
French windows are tall glass doors that open onto a garden. A skylight is in the roof and cannot be walked through.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “french window”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.