allongés

Allongé (masculin singulier), allongée (féminin singulier), allongés/allongées (plural) are forms of a French adjective meaning elongated, stretched out or extended. The related noun allongement denotes the act or result of lengthening; the verb allonger means to lengthen. The term is used across many domains to describe figures or objects that have greater length than width, rather than being compact or rounded.

In geometry and design, one speaks of a « forme allongée » or an « objet allongé » when the profile is elongated; furniture, windows, or plates can be described as allongés. In biology, animals or plant parts with slender bodies are described as allongés. In everyday usage, the term can describe lines, silhouettes, or forms in art and architecture that are extended. In cuisine and beverages, « café allongé » designates a coffee with added water, producing a longer, lighter drink; pastry or biscuits may also be described as allongés when they are shaped in a longer form.

Usage notes: the adjective agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies (un bois allongé, une silhouette allongée, des objets allongés). The term is neutral and widely used across disciplines; it conveys relative, not exact, proportional differences. Etymologically, it derives from the verb allonger, itself linked to the idea of lengthening from a Latin root meaning long.