vivandière

[ vee-vahn-dyair; French vee-vahn-dyer ]

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

Origin of vivandière

1
First recorded in 1845–50; from French vivandière, feminine of vivandier, from Italian (masculine) vivandiere “sutler”; see also viand, -ier2

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How to use vivandière in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for vivandière

vivandière

/ French (vivɑ̃djɛr) /


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

Origin of vivandière

1
C16: see viand

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