devoir
Americannoun
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an act of civility or respect.
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devoirs, respects or compliments.
to pay devoirs to rank and celebrity.
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something for which a person is responsible; duty.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of devoir
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English devoir, deveir, dever, from Old French devoir ( Anglo-French deveir, dever ), from Latin dēbēre “to owe”; cf. debt
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
From the polar heights of Great Neck came the Women's Club thereof, aesthetically accoutered to do their devoir.
From Time Magazine Archive
He admired Miss Fisher's dash and courage and buoyant spirit of enjoyment, and, having a good horse, he pressed Madcap to his best devoir.
From The Storm Centre by Murfree, Mary Noailles
That, according to Mr. Tennyson's lately-published opinion, is the devoir of that deeply-to-be-pitied individual, l'homme marié.
From Beatrice Boville and Other Stories by Ouida
"Ceremony here, devoir there!" said she, smiling, "there was surely no need for a key to our door, Elrigmore—-" "Colin, Mistress Brown, plain Colin, if you please."
From John Splendid The Tale of a Poor Gentleman, and the Little Wars of Lorn by Munro, Neil
However culpable my conduct, I will so far pay my devoir to virtue as to own the excellence and rectitude of her precepts, and lament my want of conformity to them.
From The Impending Crisis of the South How to Meet It by Helper, Hinton Rowan
Zulka, having made his devoirs to the sovereign, now approached his friend.
From Trusia A Princess of Krovitch by Brinton, Davis
I entered the large saloon in the wake of Count Saxe, made my devoirs to Mademoiselle Lecouvreur, and then retired against the wall, as the unimportant do.
From Francezka by Seawell, Molly Elliot
He has been forcibly struck with your charms, and has signified his intentions of coming shortly to pay his devoirs in person.
From Gómez Arias Or, The Moors of the Alpujarras, A Spanish Historical Romance. by Trueba y Cosío, Joaquín Telesforo de
He wanted to come up here and pay his devoirs to you, but I evaded the honour.
From A Daughter of the Vine by Atherton, Gertrude Franklin Horn
The herald then, seeing each champion in his place, uplifted his voice, repeating thrice, Faites vos devoirs, preux chevaliers.
From Coronation Anecdotes by Gossip, Giles
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
