vivandière

American  

[vee-vahn-dyair, vee-vahn-dyer] / ˌvi vɑnˈdyɛər, vi vɑ̃ˈdyɛr /

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

Example Sentences

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

From The Rough Road by Locke, William John

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 Newnes, George

The latter were bestowed upon the French vivandière.

From Fifty-One Years of Victorian Life by Child-Villiers, Margaret Elizabeth Leigh

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 Zola, Émile

He did not quite see the appropriateness of petticoats in actual warfare—unless, perhaps, the short petticoats of a vivandière; and he hoped that Captain Sarrasin's wife was not a vivandière.

From The Dictator by McCarthy, Justin