chauffeur

American  

[shoh-fer, shoh-fur] / ˈʃoʊ fər, ʃoʊˈfɜr /

noun

1. a person employed to drive a private automobile or limousine for the owner.

2. a person employed to drive a car or limousine that transports paying passengers.

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verb (used with object)

chauffeurs, present (3rd person singular) chauffeured, past participle, past chauffeuring present participle

1. to drive (a vehicle) as a chauffeur.

2. to transport by car.

   Saturday mornings I have to chauffeur the kids to their music lessons.

verb (used without object)

chauffeurs, present (3rd person singular) chauffeured, past participle, past chauffeuring present participle

1. to work as a chauffeur.

   He chauffeured for a time right after the war.

chauffeur British  

/ ˈʃəʊfə, ʃəʊˈfɜːz, ʃəʊˈfɜː /

noun

1. a person employed to drive a car

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verb

1. to act as driver for (a person)

   he chauffeured me to the stadium

   he chauffeurs for the Duke

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unchauffeured
  adjective
• well-chauffeured
  adjective
• chauffeuse
  noun

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has chauffeured
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have chauffeured
  perfect
• has been chauffeuring
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• am chauffeuring
  progressive 1st person singular
• chauffeurs
  singular 3rd person
• chauffeuring
  participle
• is chauffeuring
  progressive 3rd person singular
• are chauffeuring
  progressive
• have been chauffeuring
  perfect progressive

Past

• had chauffeured
  perfect
• were chauffeuring
  progressive plural
• chauffeured
  simple
• was chauffeuring
  progressive singular
• had been chauffeuring
  perfect progressive
• chauffeured
  participle

Future

• will chauffeur
  simple
• will have chauffeured
  perfect
• will be chauffeuring
  progressive
• will have been chauffeuring
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of chauffeur

1895–1900; < French, equivalent to chauff(er ) to heat ( see chafe) + -eur -eur

Explanation

Do you pay someone to drive you around? Then you have a private chauffeur. Chauffeur literally means "operator of a steam engine" in French, but they used it as a nickname for the first motorists who drove steam engine cars. Today chauffeurs are just the guys you pay to drive you around, like the chauffeur of a limo. Chauffeur can also be used as a verb: once you get your driver's license, your parents will be happy to not have to chauffeur you back and forth to school.