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Arrondissement - 4 dictionary results

ar⋅ron⋅disse⋅ment

[uh-ron-dis-muhnt, ar-uhn-dees-; Fr. a-rawn-dees-mahn]
–noun, plural -ments [-muhnts; Fr. -mahn] .
1. the largest administrative division of a French department, comprising a number of cantons.
2. an administrative district of certain large cities in France.

Origin:
1800–10; < F, equiv. to arrondiss- (var. s. of arrondir to round out; see a- 5 , round ) + -ment -ment
ar·ron·disse·ment   (ä-rôɴ'dēs-mäɴ')   
n.  
  1. The chief administrative subdivision of a department in France.
  2. A municipal subdivision in some large French cities.

[French, from Old French, rounded projection on a wall, from arrondir, arrondiss-, to round out : a, to (from Latin ad-; see ad-) + rondir, to make round (from rond, round; see round1).]

Arrondissement

Ar`ron`disse`ment"\, n. [F., fr. arrondir to make round; ad + rond round, L. rotundus.] A subdivision of a department. [France]

Note: The territory of France, since the revolution, has been divided into departments, those into arrondissements, those into cantons, and the latter into communes.

arrondissement 
1807, "administrative subdivision of a Fr. department," from Fr., lit. "a rounding," from stem of arrondir "to make round."
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