chauffeur

1 of 2

noun

chauf·​feur ˈshō-fər  shō-ˈfər 

: a person employed to drive a motor vehicle

chauffeur

2 of 2

verb

chauffeured; chauffeuring ˈshō-f(ə-)riŋ 

shō-ˈfər-iŋ

intransitive verb

: to do the work of a chauffeur

chauffeured for a millionaire

transitive verb

1

: to transport in the manner of a chauffeur

chauffeurs the children to school

2

: to operate (something, such as an automobile) as chauffeur

chauffeur a limousine

Did you know?

The first chauffeurs were people employed to stoke a steam engine and keep it running. The literal meaning of the French noun chauffeur (from the verb chauffer, meaning "to heat") is "one that heats." In the early days of automobiles, French speakers extended the word to those who drove the "horseless carriage," and it eventually developed an extended sense specifically for someone hired to drive other people. It was this latter sense that was borrowed into English in the late 19th century. Incidentally, the French word chauffeur derives from the same Anglo-French word that gave English speakers the verb chafe, and ultimately can be traced back to the Latin verb calēre ("to be warm").

Examples of chauffeur in a Sentence

Verb

He chauffeurs for a millionaire.

She was chauffeured to the airport.

He chauffeured his client to the hotel.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The jury ultimately concluded that the deaths of Diana, Dodi, and Henri Paul resulted from the gross negligence of the chauffeur and the paparazzi. —Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 19 Sep. 2024

There’s a gap between that and hopping into my 2035 model year Honda Civic, pulling up an address on my phone, and having the Civic chauffeur me there like a sultan. —Bryan Walsh, Vox, 3 June 2024

Verb

And chauffeured all the while in an Aston Martin DBX Bowmore Edition, a $287,000 luxury SUV—one of only 16 ever produced. —Brad Japhe, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024

And when first class won’t do, mega stars shell out tens of thousands of dollars to be chauffeured to chartered or private jets at Pearson in comfort and privacy. —Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

French, literally, stoker, from chauffer to heat, from Old French chaufer — more at chafe

First Known Use

Noun

1899, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1917, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

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Kids Definition

chauffeur

1 of 2 noun

chauf·​feur ˈshō-fər  shō-ˈfər 

: a person employed to drive people in a car

chauffeur

2 of 2 verb

chauffeured; chauffeuring ˈshō-f(ə-)riŋ 

shō-ˈfər-iŋ

1

: to do the work of a chauffeur

2

: to transport as or as if as a chauffeur

chauffeured the children to school

Etymology

Noun

from French chauffeur "driver," literally, "stoker," from chauffer "to heat"

Word Origin

It seems odd that the word chauffeur, meaning "one who drives an automobile for another," should come from the French verb chauffer, meaning "to heat." The title comes from the early days of automobiles, when they were still curious, rare, and, to many people, funny. Automobiles were noisy, produced clouds of smoke, and seemed to require a great deal of work to keep them running. To many people they were like the steam engines used to pull trains. Chauffeur, the French word for the "stoker," or person who kept the fire going in an engine, was used for anyone driving an automobile. Later the term was used only for a person hired to drive someone else's car.