Voortrekker

V4O1O1R1T1R1E1K5K5E1R1
/ˈfɔɹ.tɹɛk.əɹ/

noun

A Boer pioneer, who trekked into the hinterland of South Africa during the 1830s.

“The Voortrekkers left the Cape Colony because of dissatisfaction with English rule.”

OriginDutch voor →
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Meanings

nounVoortrekker (plural Voortrekkers)

plural Voortrekkers

  1. plural normallyA Boer pioneer, who trekked into the hinterland of South Africa during the 1830s.

    The Voortrekkers left the Cape Colony because of dissatisfaction with English rule.

  2. A member of the Afrikaans scouting movement.

Origin

  1. Dutchvoor“advance”
  2. EnglishVoortrekker

Dutch voor (“advance”) + trekken (“to travel”).

More words from Dutch

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Voortrekker. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Voortrekker

MLA

“Voortrekker.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Voortrekker. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Voortrekker,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Voortrekker.

Source: Voortrekker on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.