vivandière

American  

[vee-vahn-dyair, vee-vahn-dyer] / ˌvi vɑnˈdjɛər, vi vɑ̃ˈdjɛr /

noun

1. a woman who formerly followed an army or maintained a store on an army post to sell provisions to the soldiers.

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vivandière British  

/ vivɑ̃djɛr /

noun

1. (formerly) a female sutler or victualler offering extra provisions and spirits to soldiers, esp those of the French and British armies

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Etymology

Origin of vivandière

First recorded in 1845–50; from French vivandière, feminine of vivandier, from Italian (masculine) vivandiere “sutler”; see also viand ( def. ), -ier ²

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

vivandière

Met-à-Mort had nominated himself captain of the brigands, and chose Georgette for his vivandière.

From The Strand Magazine, Volume V, Issue 28, April 1893 An Illustrated Monthly by George Newnes

The same feeling for contrast is perceptible in 'La Forza del Destino,' in which the gloom of a most sanguinary plot is relieved by the humours of a vivandière and a comic priest.

From The Opera A Sketch of the Development of Opera. With full Descriptions of all Works in the Modern Repertory. by J. A. Fuller-Maitland

Faith, her father was a French grenadier and her mother a vivandière.

From Clementina by A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley) Mason

Virginie brought down the house with her imitation of a vivandière, standing with her hand on her hip and a wineglass in her hand, which she emptied down her throat as she finished.

From L'Assommoir by Émile Zola

“But, monsieur,” she replied primly, “I am not the vivandière of the regiment.”

From The Rough Road by William John Locke

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