connoisseur

[ kon-uh-sur, -soor ]
/ ˌkɒn əˈsɜr, -ˈsʊər /

noun

a person who is especially competent to pass critical judgments in an art, particularly one of the fine arts, or in matters of taste: a connoisseur of modern art.
a discerning judge of the best in any field: a connoisseur of horses.

Origin of connoisseur

1705–15; < French; Old French conoiseor < Latin cognōscitōr- (stem of cognōscitor) knower. See cognoscible, -tor

SYNONYMS FOR connoisseur

critic, aesthete.

OTHER WORDS FROM connoisseur

con·nois·seur·ship, noun

Words nearby connoisseur

conniption, connivance, connive, connivent, connivery, connoisseur, connolly, connor, connors, connotation, connotative

Example sentences from the Web for connoisseurship

British Dictionary definitions for connoisseurship

connoisseur
/ (ˌkɒnɪˈsɜː) /

noun

a person with special knowledge or appreciation of a field, esp in the arts

Derived forms of connoisseur

connoisseurship, noun

Word Origin for connoisseur

C18: from French, from Old French conoiseor, from connoistre to know, from Latin cognōscere