fouiller

From Old French, from Vulgar Latin *fodiclāre < *fodiculāre, from Latin fodicāre, from fodere. Compare fouir.

• IPA^(key): /fu.je/

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fouiller

1. (transitive) to search (place, thing)
   • 1873, Émile Zola, Le Ventre de Paris:

     Il fouillait ses souvenirs, ne se rappelait pas une heure de plénitude.

     He searched his memories and recalled not a single hour of contentment.

2. (transitive) to search, frisk (person)
3. (transitive) to go into, investigate (question, issue)
4. (intransitive) to rummage, delve (dans in)

   J’ai fouillé dans mon sac, mais je n’ai pas pu trouver mon portefeuille.

   I rummaged through my bag, but I couldn't find my wallet.

5. (reflexive) to go through one's pockets
6. (transitive) to dig

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

• frouille, frouillé