ciboire
What does “ciboire” mean in English?
This is a Quebecois swear that serves as an intensifier, often used to express frustration or anger. It literally refers to a sacred object, the ciborium, which adds an ironic twist to its usage.
Literally “ciborium”
It's similar to saying 'goddammit' in English, often used in exclamatory phrases rather than directed at someone. The tone can be quite strong, reflecting annoyance or emphasis.
Take it with you
Wear it. Stick it. Drink from it.
Put ciboire on a mug, a T-shirt or a sticker as Swear Atlas stamp artwork. You'll finish your order with Zazzle, our print partner — they handle payment, printing and delivery.
Adult/mature product · 18+. Purchases, delivery, returns and support are provided by Zazzle, not Swear Atlas. Availability is subject to Zazzle's policies.
Related French words
crisse
4/5 · StrongThis is a Quebecois swear that serves as an intensifier, often used to express frustration or anger. It literally translates to 'Christ.'
osti
4/5 · StrongThis is a Québec French exclamation that can express surprise, anger, or frustration. It literally refers to a communion host, but it’s used more as a strong intensifier in everyday speech.
calvaire
3/5 · VulgarThis is a French exclamation used in Quebec to express frustration, similar to saying 'for Christ's sake' in English. Literally, it refers to Calvary, the site of Christ's crucifixion.
crissement
4/5 · StrongIt's a vulgar intensifier used in Quebec French to emphasize something as extremely intense or significant.
About this data
Swear Atlas is a source-attested, AI-curated reference — not a native-speaker-certified dictionary. Meanings and the 1–5 Burn Rating are approximate editorial assessments that vary with context, region, tone and speaker. Inclusion of a word does not constitute endorsement of its use.
The literal gloss is a short editorial translation to show word-for-word sense, not an etymological claim.
“Sounds like” is an English-friendly approximation of how the word sounds, not an authoritative pronunciation. Where shown, the romanisation is a conventional Latin-script transliteration of the original spelling.
Term attested via Viddexa SafeText (MIT). Editorial content © Swear Atlas.