What does the French word 'mille' mean in mille crêpes?

The French word “mille” means “a thousand” in mille crêpes.

Mille crêpes is the French name commonly used for a cake assembled from many thin crêpes layered with pastry cream, whipped cream, or another filling. The phrase literally suggests “a thousand crêpes,” but the cake does not ordinarily contain exactly one thousand layers. The number is an evocative exaggeration describing abundance.

The word mille is the ordinary French numeral for 1,000; it is unrelated to “million,” which is million in French. Nor does it mean a stack or a circle. In the dessert’s name, crêpes refers to the individual thin pancakes, while the layered construction creates the cake’s signature striped appearance when sliced.

Mille crêpes is often associated with French pâtisserie, but modern versions have become especially prominent internationally, including in Japan and the United States. Flavors may include vanilla, chocolate, fruit, tea, or caramel.