voyageur

[ vwah-yah-zhur, voi-uh-; French vwa-ya-zhœr ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

, plural vo·ya·geurs [vwah-yah-, zhurz, voi-, uh, -, vw, a, -y, a, -, zhœr].

(in Canada) a person who is an expert woodsman, boatman, and guide in remote regions, especially one employed by fur companies to transport supplies to and from their distant stations.

voyageur

/ ˌvɔɪəˈdʒɜː /

history a boatman employed by one of the early fur-trading companies, esp in the interior
a woodsman, guide, trapper, boatman, or explorer, esp in the North

1785–95; < French: traveler, equivalent to voyag ( er ) to travel (derivative of voyage journey; voyage ) + -eur -eur

C19: from French: traveller, from voyager to voyage

The only spot of colour in his costume was the flaming red sash of the voyageur which he passed twice around his waist.

For instance, in some parts of the Hudson's Bay territory, the voyageur is allowed eight pounds of buffalo-meat per diem!

He copied steadily in his beautiful commis voyageur handwriting until two o'clock.

Not less than nine miles of the coast, agreeably to voyageur estimates, are thus characterized by dunes.

We were two days and a part of a night in making the descent, with every appliance of voyageur craft.

Browse