François RabelaisRab·e·lais, Fran·çois /ˈræbəleɪ $ ˌræbəˈleɪ, ˈfrɒnswɑː $ frɑːnˈswɑː/ (?1494–1553) a French writer whose book Gargantua and Pantagruel is known for its satire (=a way of writing about society or powerful people that makes them seem funny in order to show their faults) and jokes about sex