Sèchent

Sèchent is a French verb form: it is the third-person plural present indicative of sécher, meaning to dry or to dry out. It is used when the subject is they (ils or elles) and describes an ongoing or general action of drying. For example, ils sèchent les vêtements sur la corde, meaning they are drying the clothes on the line. The pronunciation is typically /sɛʃ/, with the final -ent silent.

Etymology and related forms: Sécher comes from Old French secher, which derives from Latin exsiccare, a compound of ex- (out) and siccus (dry). The chain of forms in modern French includes negation of the root in related words such as dessécher (to desiccate), which adds the prefix de- to express thorough dryness or drying out.

Usage notes: Sèchent is used for plural subjects in the present tense. The infinitive is sécher, and the past participle is séché. Intransitive use can imply that a subject dries itself or something dries by external action (for example, the sun dries the laundry). Transitive use requires an object: ils sèchent quelque chose (they dry something). Distinctions with related verbs exist: sécher means to dry; dessécher means to desiccate or to cause to dry out more completely, often in a negative or environmental sense.

See also: French verb conjugation of sécher; related terms describing drying, such as dessécher and séchage (the act of drying).