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raconteur

[ rak-uh n-tur; French ra-kawn-tœr ]

/ ˌræk ənˈtɜr; French ra kɔ̃ˈtœr /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR raconteur ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural rac·on·teurs [rak-uh n-turz; French ra-kawn-tœr] /ˌræk ənˈtɜrz; French ra kɔ̃ˈtœr/.

a person who is skilled in relating stories and anecdotes interestingly.

Origin of raconteur

1820–30; < French, equivalent to racont(er) to tell (Old French r(e)- re- + aconter to tell, account) + -eur -eur

Words nearby raconteur

racking, rackle, rackwork, raclette, racon, raconteur, raconteuse, racoon, racq, racquet, racquetball

Example sentences from the Web for raconteur

She describes him as a raconteur and voracious reader of history and current affairs.

The Seven Foot Philanthropist |Sandra McElwaine |June 4, 2010 |DAILY BEAST
Like Beck, Jones is a raconteur with a penchant for dramatizing things to comic effect.

Leave Van Jones Alone |Reihan Salam |September 8, 2009 |DAILY BEAST
He is a raconteur extraordinaire and an interview with the dogged reporter can rapidly turn into a delicious gabfest.

Celebrity Hit Man |Sandra McElwaine |August 7, 2009 |DAILY BEAST
Our teacher is this generous renegade, a raconteur and wit also who succeeds in getting us to read Beowolf.

My Teacher Who Brought Magic to Room 205 |Susan Jane Gilman |July 20, 2009 |DAILY BEAST

He had an accent like ours; he was definitely a surrealist and a raconteur.

Craig Ferguson's 10 Favorite Comedy Moments |Craig Ferguson, The Daily Beast Video |May 20, 2009 |DAILY BEAST
There is a print of Sir George Simpson behind one raconteur's head.

The Story of the Trapper |A. C. Laut
Mr. Morris is raconteur first; his ancient tales create their form, and ornament is accessory to narrative.

Essays |Arthur Christopher Benson
But Harriet Martineau was never the raconteur, she was first the educator.

Woman's Work in English Fiction |Clara Helen Whitmore
As a raconteur he stands almost unrivalled, and his powers of mimicry are in themselves sufficient to justify a career.

Theodor Leschetizky |Annette Hullah
He was not a good man to tell a story to—he had always heard it before; but as a raconteur I never met his equal.

The Life and Letters of Lewis Carroll |Stuart Dodgson Collingwood

British Dictionary definitions for raconteur

raconteur

/ (ˌrækɒnˈtɜː) /

noun

a person skilled in telling stories

Word Origin for raconteur

C19: French, from raconter to tell