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

This led me to a 2006 article in the Times about a man named Koral Karsan (Turkish: check), who had served as Ono’s chauffeur (check two) for the previous ten years. —Jay Fielden, The New Yorker, 17 June 2024

Perks like lie-flat beds, privacy doors that encapsulate seats, airport lounge access, and even chauffeur services can entice even the most austere travelers among us to contemplate splurging on an upgrade every now and then. —Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Apr. 2024

Verb

Nothing has compared to the trial, where press from around the world snap Melissa’s every move from the doors of the courthouse to the black SUVs that chauffeur the couple. —Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2024

The morning event was filled with police and fire vehicles on display and the sounds of area high school and middle school marching bands, along with military veterans chauffeured in classic cars. —Christine MacDonald, Detroit Free Press, 27 May 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.