rendezvous
RON-day-voo
/ˈrɒndɪvuː/
A meeting at an agreed time and place, typically between two or more people. (As a verb) To meet at an agreed time and place.
Rendezvous often implies a pre-arranged, secretive, or important meeting, particularly in military or intelligence contexts. It carries a sense of anticipation and purpose.
The story behind the word. This elegant word is a direct borrowing from French, literally meaning 'render yourselves' or 'present yourselves.' It's an imperative form of the verb 'se rendre,' meaning 'to go' or 'to present oneself.' In the 17th century, English adopted it, initially in military contexts for a pre-arranged meeting place for troops, and later for any pre-arranged, often secret, meeting.
Word relationships
- meeting: General term for any gathering.
- appointment: A formal arrangement to meet someone at a particular time.
- assignation: Often implies a secret or illicit romantic meeting.
- separation: The action or state of moving or being moved apart.
- departure: The action of leaving.
Collocations
- secret rendezvous
- clandestine rendezvous
- military rendezvous
- rendezvous point
- arrange a rendezvous
- keep a rendezvous
Example sentences
- "The agent was instructed to rendezvous with his contact at the abandoned pier precisely at 0300 hours." The two spies arranged a clandestine rendezvous at midnight.
- "The lovers planned a romantic rendezvous under the clock tower, hoping to avoid detection." Their secret rendezvous point was a quiet cafe in the old town.
- "After a long journey, the two spacecraft were scheduled to rendezvous in Earth's orbit for a docking procedure." The spacecraft will rendezvous with the space station.
Memory hook
Think 'RAN-DEZ-VOO' – you RAN to a DEZignated VOO (view) point for your secret meeting. RAN to the VOO point.
When not to use
While it can be used for any meeting, 'rendezvous' is often used for more formal, planned, or secretive encounters, not casual get-togethers.
Fun facts
- The plural of 'rendezvous' is also 'rendezvous' (pronounced the same way), as it's a French loanword.
Related words
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