definitions

coureur de bois

[ koo-rœr duh bwah ]
/ ku rœr də ˈbwɑ /
|

noun, plural cou·reurs de bois [koo-rœr duh bwah] /ku rœr də ˈbwɑ/. French.

a French or French-Indian trapper of North America, especially of Canada.

RELATED CONTENT

⚜️ - Fleur-de-lis Emoji - Emoji by Dictionary.comRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE
It Will Be Coup De Foudre Once You Start This Word Of The Day Quiz!No legerdemain here ... this Word of the Day Quiz is straightforward, wordy fun.
READ MORE

Nearby words

courantyne, courbaril, courbet, courbet, gustave, courbevoie, coureur de bois, coureurs de bois, courgette, courie, courier, courlan

Origin of coureur de bois

literally, runner, hunter of (the) woods
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for coureur de bois

  • Priest and seigneur, habitant and coureur-de-bois were one and all difficult to fit into accepted English ways.

    The Canadian Dominion|Oscar D. Skelton

  • I was prepared to encounter the other coureur-de-bois, and there he was, ferret-face peering and sniffing at us as we approached.

    Cardigan|Robert W. Chambers

  • I want it at once—one with the long hair of a French-Canadian coureur-de-bois.

    The World For Sale, Complete|Gilbert Parker

British Dictionary definitions for coureur de bois

coureur de bois

/ (French kurœr də bwa) /

noun plural coureurs de bois (kurœr də bwa)

Canadian history a French Canadian woodsman or Métis who traded with Indians for furs

Word Origin for coureur de bois

Canadian French: trapper (literally: wood-runner)
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