colporteur

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/kɒlpɔː(ɹ)ˈtɜː(ɹ)/

noun

A peddler of publications, especially of religious books

OriginFrench colporteur ← Latin comportō →
Scrabble 14
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Meanings

nouncolporteur (plural colporteurs)

plural colporteurs · alternative colporter

  1. A peddler of publications, especially of religious books

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
peddler

Origin

  1. Latincomportō
  2. Frenchcolporteur
  3. Englishcolporteur

Borrowed from French colporteur, from comporteur by influence of col (“neck”) (re-analyzed as col + porteur (“porter”)), from verb comporter, from Latin comportō (English comport).

More words from French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish kolportööri
  • kolportööripeddler of publications
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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