potence

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French potence (“power, a crutch”), from Latin potentia (“power, in Medieval Latin also crutch”), from potens (“powerful”); see potent.

Noun

potence (countable and uncountable, plural potences)

1. Power or strength; potency.
2. A stud that acts as a support of a pivot in a watch or clock.

Derived terms

• counterpotence
• idempotence
• nilpotence
• unipotence
• cross potence

Related terms

• potency
• potent
• potentate
• potential
• potentiality

Further reading

• “potence”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “potence”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.

Anagrams

• pet cone

Czech

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin potis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈpotɛnt͡sɛ]
• Rhymes: -ɛntsɛ

Noun

potence f

1. potency

Declension

Declension of potence (soft feminine)

	singular	plural
nominative	potence	potence
genitive	potence	potencí
dative	potenci	potencím
accusative	potenci	potence
vocative	potence	potence
locative	potenci	potencích
instrumental	potencí	potencemi

Related terms

Related terms

• idempotence
• idempotentní
• impotence
• impotent
• impotentní
• potenciál
• potenciální
• potenciometr
• potencionální
• potentát
• potentní
• omnipotence
• omnipotentní

Further reading

• “potence”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “potence”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “potence”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2025

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French, borrowed from Latin potentia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɔ.tɑ̃s/

• Audio (Paris):

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• Audio (France (Saint-Maurice-de-Beynost)):

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• Audio (Switzerland (Valais)):

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• Audio (France (Toulouse)):

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• Audio (France (Vosges)):

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Noun

potence f (plural potences)

1. (construction) post and braces
2. gallows, gibbet (for hanging)
3. stem (component on a bicycle)

Usage notes

Beware that this is a false friend, meaning “gallows” (or similar wooden constructions), not “strength”, from the Middle Latin meaning “crutch” of potentia.

Synonyms

• gibet

Derived terms

• gibier de potence

Further reading

• “potence”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• écopent