Today’s word is clairsemé (klare-sem-ay), which means “sparse, thin, scattered, or dispersed.” The origins of the word are agricultural; semer means “to sow” and seeds can be clairsemé. Hair can also be clairsemé. The word can also apply to figurative situations as well; ideas can be clairsemé so can optimism. The large langoustines in the photo, above, are clairsemé compared to the rest of the seafood in the market in Metz. Why, however, is the stack of projects I have to grade not clairsemé?

Mastering French Vocabulary with Audio MP3: A Thematic Approach