colporteur

[ kol-pawr-ter, -pohr-; French kawl-pawr-tœr ]
/ ˈkɒlˌpɔr tər, -ˌpoʊr-; French kɔl pɔrˈtœr /

noun, plural col·por·teurs [kol-pawr-terz; French kawl-pawr-tœr] /ˈkɒlˌpɔr tərz; French kɔl pɔrˈtœr/.

a person who travels to sell or publicize Bibles, religious tracts, etc.
a peddler of books.

Origin of colporteur

1790–1800; < French, equivalent to colport(er) (see colportage) + -eur -eur

Example sentences from the Web for colporteur

British Dictionary definitions for colporteur

colporteur
/ (ˈkɒlˌpɔːtə, French kɔlpɔrtœr) /

noun

a hawker of books, esp bibles

Derived forms of colporteur

colportage, noun

Word Origin for colporteur

C18: from French, from colporter, probably from Old French comporter to carry (see comport); influenced through folk etymology by porter à col to carry on one's neck