tour de force - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

Borrowed from French tour de force (“feat of strength”), circa 19th century.

• (US) IPA(key): /ˌtuɹ.dəˈfoɹs/, /ˌtuɹ.dəˈfɔɹs/

tour de force (plural tours de force)

1. A feat demonstrating brilliance or mastery in a field.
   Now orbiting Earth, Gravity Probe B is a technological tour de force.
   • 1976, Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene, Kindle edition, OUP Oxford, published 2016, page 429:
     Much as I admire Wilson’s tour de force—I wish people would read it more and read about it less—my hackles have always risen at the entirely false suggestion that his book influenced mine.

• tour d'horizon

Feat demonstrating brilliance or mastery in a field

Translations to be checked

• coup de force

tour de force m (plural tours de force)

1. exploit, tour de force

• huzarenstuk
• krachtdaad
• krachttoer

Literally, “turn of strength”, or more loosely translated as “turn of force”.

• IPA(key): /tuʁ də fɔʁs/

tour de force m (plural tours de force)

1. tour de force

• → Dutch: krachttoer (calque)

tour de force f (genitive **tour de force, plural tours de force)

1. Alternative spelling of Tour de Force