Why do I need to know urticant?
Because you might need this word after touching the wrong plant while gardening.
What does it mean?
Urticant - roughly pronounced ur-tee-cahn - is a French adjective that translates as ‘stinging’.
The official definition is that urticant can describe a burning or stinging sensation, oftentimes brought on after into contact with a chemical product, or a certain type of animal or plant.
For example, stinging nettles in France, les orties, are common in French forests. You might say Ne touchez pas les orties. Cette plante est urticante (Do not touch nettles. This plant stings.)
You might also hear this used to describe an unknown plant or chemical causing irritation and stinging.
For example, a French headline might read “Un animal tropical urticant provoque des fermetures de plages” (A stinging tropical animal causes beach closures).
But this also has a more figurative meaning that can be used to describe people.
When describing a person, urticant would better translate as ‘prickly’ or ‘irritating’, perhaps someone who 'rubs others up the wrong way'.
Recently, a French headline discussing the future prime minister, a source told French daily Le Figaro that the president should “choisir le profil le moins urticant” (choose the least bothersome or irritating candidate).
As for the origins of the word, it dates back to the 19th century, and it comes from the verb urtiquer (to whip with nettles. Yes, French has a verb for that).
Use it like this
Nageurs, méfiez-vous des méduses très urticantes que vous pourriez rencontrer dans l'océan. - Swimmers, beware of highly stinging jellyfish that you may encounter in the ocean.
Personne ne peut s'entendre avec lui. Il est trop urticant. - No one can get along with him. He's too irritating.
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