voyageur

noun

voya·​geur ˌvȯi-ə-ˈzhər  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 park’s North Canoe Voyage brings guests out on the water, either Rainy Lake or the Ash River, in a 26-foot-long canoe, a replica of what a voyageur would have traveled in during the early 1800s. —Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 2 July 2025

Both a Parks Canada national historic site and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Rideau meanders through the Ontario backcountry along a route pioneered centuries ago by First Nations people and French voyageurs. —Joe Yogerst, Forbes, 9 Sep. 2024

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

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

Rhymes for voyageur

• amateur
• connoisseur
• kieselguhr
• monseigneur
• procureur
• retransfer
• saboteur
• silencer
• birr
• blur
• bur
• cur