vadrouille

• IPA^(key): /va.dʁuj/

17th century, at first in nautical parlance. Possibly an extension of regional drouilles (“old rags”), itself of unknown origin. The sense “walk, stroll” is a backformation from the denominal verb vadrouiller.

vadrouille f (plural vadrouilles)

1. (dated outside North America) mop (implement for washing floors)

   Synonyms: balai à franges, serpillière, (nautical) faubert

2. (informal) walk, wander, stroll

   Synonym: balade

   • 2016, Gaël Faye, Petit Pays [Small Country]:

     Dans le Combi Volkswagen, on décidait nos projets, nos escapades, nos grandes vadrouilles.

     In the Combi Volkswagen, we decided our projects, our escapes, our great walks.

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

vadrouille

1. inflection of vadrouiller:
   1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
   2. second-person singular imperative

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