voyageur
noun
voya·geur
ˌvȯi-ə-ˈzhər 
ˌvwä-yä-
ˌvwä-yä-
: a man employed by a fur company to transport goods to and from remote stations especially in the Canadian Northwest
Examples of voyageur in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Isle a la Cache Museum offers a glimpse at what life was like hundreds of years ago with Native American and French voyageur artifacts.
—
Annie Alleman, chicagotribune.com, 9 July 2021
Pioneering Chicago muralist John Norton was commissioned to paint the original canvasses of a voyageur, steamboat captain, railroad surveyor and laborer.
—Shannon Prather, Star Tribune, 19 Aug. 2020
Thousand Island Paddling Trail, Ontario Emulate the French voyageurs of old on this 50-mile (80.47 km) kayak/canoe trail down the St. Lawrence River between Kingston and Brockville, Ontario.
—Joe Yogerst, National Geographic, 18 Apr. 2019
Learn how the French voyageurs and Potawatomi were connected, feel a beaver pelt, see canoes built of birch bark and walk inside a wigwam.
—Annie Alleman, chicagotribune.com, 13 May 2018
The voyageurs, manageurs du lard, and bourgeois that MacKenzie worked with had already discovered and mapped much of the continent by then.
—Porter Fox, Outside Online, 19 Apr. 2018
Drive another 20 minutes to Grand Portage National Monument to learn the history of the Grand Portage Band and join a free tour with a National Park Service ranger to learn about the fur traders, French voyageurs and Ojibwe Indians.
—Kelly Smith, chicagotribune.com, 15 Dec. 2017
The students paddled and portaged through the park, following the routes once traveled by aboriginals and French-Canadian voyageurs.
—Daily Southtown, 30 Aug. 2017
Phelan had learned the technique while hunting and fishing in the wilderness of Quebec, mirroring the journeys and challenges of the voyageurs.
—Pippa Biddle, The Atlantic, 18 Aug. 2017
See More
Annie Alleman, chicagotribune.com, 9 July 2021
Pioneering Chicago muralist John Norton was commissioned to paint the original canvasses of a voyageur, steamboat captain, railroad surveyor and laborer.
—Shannon Prather, Star Tribune, 19 Aug. 2020
Thousand Island Paddling Trail, Ontario Emulate the French voyageurs of old on this 50-mile (80.47 km) kayak/canoe trail down the St. Lawrence River between Kingston and Brockville, Ontario.
—Joe Yogerst, National Geographic, 18 Apr. 2019
Learn how the French voyageurs and Potawatomi were connected, feel a beaver pelt, see canoes built of birch bark and walk inside a wigwam.
—Annie Alleman, chicagotribune.com, 13 May 2018
The voyageurs, manageurs du lard, and bourgeois that MacKenzie worked with had already discovered and mapped much of the continent by then.
—Porter Fox, Outside Online, 19 Apr. 2018
Drive another 20 minutes to Grand Portage National Monument to learn the history of the Grand Portage Band and join a free tour with a National Park Service ranger to learn about the fur traders, French voyageurs and Ojibwe Indians.
—Kelly Smith, chicagotribune.com, 15 Dec. 2017
The students paddled and portaged through the park, following the routes once traveled by aboriginals and French-Canadian voyageurs.
—Daily Southtown, 30 Aug. 2017
Phelan had learned the technique while hunting and fishing in the wilderness of Quebec, mirroring the journeys and challenges of the voyageurs.
—Pippa Biddle, The Atlantic, 18 Aug. 2017
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'voyageur.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Canadian French, from French, traveler, from voyager to travel, from voyage voyage, from Old French voiage, veiage
First Known Use
1793, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near voyageur
Cite this Entry
“Voyageur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/voyageur. Accessed 24 Sep. 2023.
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