voyageur

[ vwah-yah-zhur, voi-uh-; French vwa-ya-zhœr ]

noun,plural vo·ya·geurs [vwah-yah-zhurz, voi-uh-; French vwa-ya-zhœr]. /ˌvwɑ yɑˈʒɜrz, ˌvɔɪ ə-; French vwa yaˈʒœr/.
  1. (in Canada) a person who is an expert woodsman, boatman, and guide in remote regions, especially one employed by fur companies to transport supplies to and from their distant stations.

Origin of voyageur

1
1785–95; <French: traveler, equivalent to voyag(er) to travel (derivative of voyage journey; see voyage) + -eur-eur

Words that may be confused with voyageur

Words Nearby voyageur

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use voyageur in a sentence

  • Just under an hour from stunning Voyageurs, the sites also have access to a toilet, fire ring, picnic tables, and a real-deal tire swing.

  • As one of the few water-based national parks in the system, it may seem counterintuitive to bring your pup along for the ride up to Voyageurs, but dogs are allowed in all front-country campgrounds within the park and on private boats.

  • The only spot of colour in his costume was the flaming red sash of the voyageur which he passed twice around his waist.

    Blazed Trail Stories | Stewart Edward White
  • For instance, in some parts of the Hudson's Bay territory, the voyageur is allowed eight pounds of buffalo-meat per diem!

  • He copied steadily in his beautiful commis voyageur handwriting until two o'clock.

    The Devourers | Annie Vivanti Chartres

British Dictionary definitions for voyageur

voyageur

/ (ˌvɔɪəˈdʒɜː) /


nounCanadian
  1. history a boatman employed by one of the early fur-trading companies, esp in the interior

  2. a woodsman, guide, trapper, boatman, or explorer, esp in the North

Origin of voyageur

1
C19: from French: traveller, from voyager to voyage

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012