Chauffeur

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ʃɒˈfɜː/, /ˈʃəʊfÉ™/
• US IPA: /ʃoʊˈfɜ˞/, /ˈʃoÊŠfə˞/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)

Origin

Borrowing from fr chauffeur.

Full definition of chauffeur

Noun

1. A person employed to drive a private motor car or a hired car of executive or luxury class (like a limousine).
• 1913, w, Lord Stranleigh Abroad Chapter 3, He fell into a reverie, a most dangerous state of mind for a chauffeur, since a fall into reverie on the part of a driver may mean a fall into a ravine on the part of the machine.
2. (firefighting) The driver of a fire truck.

Usage notes

As the French word chauffeur has masculine gender, a female chauffeur is sometimes called a chauffeuse or, jocularly, a chauffeuress.

Hypernyms

• (both senses) driver

Verb

1. (intransitive) To be, or act as, a chauffeur (driver of a motor car).
2. (transitive) To transport (someone) in a motor car.