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Roué originated as a French word and gained momentum when it began to be used in reference to the libertine companions of Philippe II, France's regent from 1715-1723. Roué means "broken on the wheel" in French and ultimately derives from Latin rota, meaning "wheel." Since the wheel being referred to was an instrument of punishment, the French were implying that such dissolute beings deserved this punishment. By the end of the 18th century, English-speakers added roué to its list of synonyms for a rake, libertine, debaucher, lecher, etc.
Examples of roué in a Sentence
Peter Marks, Washington Post, 22 Jan. 2020
In the film, Jennifer Jones played the heroine, in her maid’s cap and apron, and French actor Charles Boyer was Adam Belinski, the refugee Czech intellectual roue, on the Hollywood assumption that one European accent is as good as another.
—New York Times, 12 Apr. 2018
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'roué.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Roué.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rou%C3%A9. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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