No. 722 in French

prises

The French word "prises" means "takes," "captures," or "grips" in English, depending on context.

In a sentence

Les prises électriques sont défectueuses.
The electrical outlets are defective.
In this sentence, 'prises' refers to 'electrical outlets', discussing the physical component present in buildings for plugging in devices.
Les prises de courant doivent être réparées.
The power outlets need to be repaired.
Here, 'prises de courant' specifies the same concept as the first sentence, emphasizing the context of needing maintenance.
Ses prises de position sont toujours audacieuses.
Her stances on issues are always bold.
'Prises de position' moves into a metaphoric usage, describing 'stances' or 'positions' someone adopts on matters, figuratively capturing their 'grasp' on issues.

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