chicaner

\ʃi.ka.ne\

/\ʃi.ka.ne\/ verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“chicaner” is an uncommon French word, ranked #68,908 in French word frequency and used as a verb.

#68,908
frequency rank, French
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Soulever, dans un procès, un point mineur de droit pour embrouiller l’affaire.

Key facts for chicaner
PropertyValue
Headwordchicaner
LanguageFrench
Part of speechVerb
IPA\ʃi.ka.ne\
Letters8
Frequency rank#68,908
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “chicaner” sits in French frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). chicaner lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The French entry for chicaner is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ʃi.ka.ne\. Corpus data places it at rank #68,908 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Zero misspellings are on record for chicaner in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable French rules. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is chicaner, spelled C-H-I-C-A-N-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Soulever, dans un procès, un point mineur de droit pour embrouiller l’affaire.
  2. 2
    Créer des difficultés.
  3. 3
    Serrer le vent le plus près possible, comme en lui disputant, parce qu’il est défavorable, une pleine action sur les voiles.
  4. 4
    Se servir de subtilités captieuses, contester sans fondement, en quelque matière que ce soit.
  5. 5
    Chercher noise à quelqu’un.
  6. 6
    Reprendre, critiquer mal à propos et sur des bagatelles.
  7. 7
    Se chamailler, se quereller.
  8. 8
    Gronder, admonester, enguirlander.

Synonyms

pinaillerchicaillercoltailler

This word in other languages

quibble(English)disputar(Español)schikanieren(Deutsch)aperrear(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "chicaner"?
"chicaner" is spelled C-H-I-C-A-N-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is \ʃi.ka.ne\.
What does "chicaner" mean?
As a verb, "chicaner" means: Soulever, dans un procès, un point mineur de droit pour embrouiller l’affaire.
How do you pronounce "chicaner"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chicaner" is \ʃi.ka.ne\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "chicaner" come from?
"chicaner" is a French word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “chicaner”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct French spelling is C-H-I-C-A-N-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ʃi.ka.ne\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list