different between vigour vs puissance

English

Alternative forms

• vigor (US)
• vygour (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English vigour, from Old French vigour, from vigor, from Latin vigor, from vigeo (“thrive, flourish”), from Proto-Indo-European [Term?].

Related to vigil.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?v???/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?v???/
• Rhymes: -???(?)

Noun

vigour (countable and uncountable, plural vigours)

1. Active strength or force of body or mind; capacity for exertion, physically, intellectually, or morally; energy.
2. (biology) Strength or force in animal or vegetable nature or action.

   A plant grows with vigour.

3. Strength; efficacy; potency.
   • 1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost:

     But in the fruithful earth: there first receiv'd / His beams, unactive else, their vigour find.

Usage notes

Vigour and its derivatives commonly imply active strength, or the power of action and exertion, in distinction from passive strength, or strength to endure.

Derived terms

• envigorate
• vigorous
• hybrid vigor/hybrid vigour

Related terms

• vegetable
• vigil

Translations

Old French

Noun

vigour m (oblique plural vigours, nominative singular vigours, nominative plural vigour)

1. Alternative form of vigur

English

Alternative forms

• Puissance (show jumping)

Etymology

From Middle English puissaunce, from Anglo-Norman puissance, pusaunce, and other forms, from Old French puissant (“powerful”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?pju??.s(?)ns/, /?pw?-/
• Hyphenation: puis?sance

Noun

puissance (countable and uncountable, plural puissances)

1. Power, might or potency.
   • 2006, Clive James, North Face of Soho: Unreliable Memoirs. Vol. IV, London: Picador, ISBN 978-0-330-48128-1; republished London: Picador, 2007, ISBN 978-0-330-48127-4, page 66:

     Any impression of mental puissance might have been increased by the fact that I was usually to be seen working hard with notebook and biro, shaping up a new book review or a linking script […].

2. (equestrianism) Often Puissance: the high-jump component of the sport of show jumping.

Translations

French

Etymology

From Middle French puissance, derived from Old French puissant.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /p?i.s??s/
• Rhymes: -??s

Noun

puissance f (plural puissances)

1. power (physical or figuratively)
2. dominion (state within the British Empire)

Derived terms

• en puissance
• puissance mondiale

Related terms

• pouvoir

Preposition

puissance

1. (mathematics) to the power of

   Deux puissance quatre égale seize.

Further reading

• “puissance” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Middle French

Etymology

From Old French puissance.

Noun

puissance f (plural puissances)

1. power

Descendants

• French: puissance

Old French

Alternative forms

Etymology

From puissant, pussant.

Noun

puissance f (oblique plural puissances, nominative singular puissance, nominative plural puissances)

1. power; ability; authority
2. might; strength

Descendants

• English: puissance (borrowed through Anglo-Norman)
• Middle French: puissance
  • French: puissance