Sèches

Sèches is a term that appears in Romance-language contexts and is most often encountered as the feminine plural form of the French adjective sèche, meaning dry. It is used to describe things that are dry or in a state of drying, such as peau sèche (dry skin) or terres sèches (dry soils). The masculine singular is sec, the feminine singular is sèche, the masculine plural is secs, and the feminine plural is sèches, with diacritics reflecting gender and number in French spelling.

The word ultimately derives from Latin siccus, passing through Old French seche before adopting modern French forms. In standard French, sèches functions as an ordinary adjective when describing feminine nouns, and it can appear in various phrases tied to moisture, weather, or texture. Outside French, related forms and cognates exist in other Occitan- and Catalan-influenced varieties, where similar meanings are used to denote dryness or aridity.

Capitalized forms such as Sèches may occur as proper nouns in regional contexts, where they can denote a place name or a surname. Such usages are local and depend on historical or geographical traditions rather than a universal linguistic rule.

In practical terms, sèches conveys dryness across several domains. In health and cosmetics, dry skin is a common concern. In agriculture and ecology, dryness relates to drought conditions, soil moisture, and water-management challenges. Across disciplines, the concept of dryness linked to sèches remains centered on reduced moisture and its implications for people, ecosystems, and material conditions.