Dictionary.com

flâneur

[ flah-nœr ]
/ flɑˈnœr /
Save This Word!

noun, plural flâ·neurs [flah-nœr]. /flɑˈnœr/. French.

a person who lounges or strolls around in a seemingly aimless way; an idler or loafer: the flâneur, that cool, aloof observer of urban society.

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!

Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between it’s and its in this crafty quiz!
Question 1 of 12
On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.
it's
its
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of flâneur

First recorded in 1850–55; from French: literally, “loafer, idler, man about town,” equivalent to flân-, stem of flâner “to waste time” + -eur; cf. flânerie

Words nearby flâneur

Flanagan, flanch, Flanders, Flanders poppy, flânerie, flâneur, flange, flange coupling, flanged rail, flangeway, flank
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for flâneur

  • He was not, indeed, the aimless flaneur that he has been represented.

    Twelve Types|G.K. Chesterton

British Dictionary definitions for flâneur

flâneur
/ French (flɑnœr) /

noun

an idler or loafer

Word Origin for flâneur

C19: see flânerie
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
Get Online Help For Kids!