Rendezvous

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈɹɒndɪˌvuː/

Definitions

1. A planned meeting at a specific time and place, often with romantic or secretive implications
2. A prearranged gathering or meeting point where two or more parties assemble at a designated location and time
3. An appointed spot or occasion where individuals agree to convene, frequently implying discretion or clandestine purpose

Etymology: "Rendezvous" is French for "present yourselves" or "go to a place," the imperative of the verb "se rendre." Its literal sense is an instruction, a command to two parties to get themselves to an agreed spot. The French noun "rendez-vous" came to mean the appointment itself, and English borrowed that noun, keeping its French spelling and nasal-free sound pattern while adapting the pronunciation toward "RON-day-voo" in some speakers' mouths and "RON-dih-voo" in others. The surprise is how far the word has travelled from the sense of an instruction. A phrase that once told someone to go somewhere now names the meeting place, and the verb form in English ("to rendezvous") means to arrive at such a point, so the command has become a noun and a verb, a place and an act. The imperative grammar that generated it has left no trace in ordinary English use.

Synonyms: meeting, appointment, gathering, encounter, assembly