colporteur
[ kol-pawr-ter, -pohr-; French kawl-pawr-tœr ]
/ ˈkɒlˌpɔr tər, -ˌpoʊr-; French kɔl pɔrˈtœr /
noun, plural col·por·teurs [kol-pawr-terz; French kawl-pawr-tœr]. /ˈkɒlˌpɔr tərz; French kɔl pɔrˈtœr/.
a person who travels to sell or publicize Bibles, religious tracts, etc.
a peddler of books.
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Origin of colporteur
Words nearby colporteur
colpoptosis, colporrhagia, colporrhaphy, colporrhexis, colportage, colporteur, colposcope, colposcopy, colpospasm, colpostenosis, colpostenotomy
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for colporteur
British Dictionary definitions for colporteur
colporteur
/ (ˈkɒlˌpɔːtə, French kɔlpɔrtœr) /
noun
a hawker of books, esp bibles
Derived forms of colporteur
colportage, nounWord Origin for colporteur
C18: from French, from colporter, probably from Old French comporter to carry (see comport); influenced through folk etymology by porter à col to carry on one's neck
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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