troubadour

noun

trou·​ba·​dour ˈtrü-bə-ˌdȯr How to pronounce troubadour (audio)
-ˌdu̇r
1
: one of a class of lyric poets and poet-musicians often of knightly rank who flourished from the 11th to the end of the 13th century chiefly in the south of France and the north of Italy and whose major theme was courtly love compare trouvère
2
: a singer especially of folk songs

Did you know?

In the Middle Ages, troubadours were the shining knights of poetry (in fact, some were ranked as high as knights in the feudal class structure). Troubadours made chivalry a high art, writing poems and singing about chivalrous love, creating the mystique of refined damsels, and glorifying the gallant knight on his charger. Troubadour was a fitting name for such creative artists: it derives from an Old Occitan word meaning "to compose." In modern contexts, troubadour still refers to the song-meisters of the Middle Ages, but it has been extended to cover contemporary poet-musicians as well.

Examples of troubadour in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The three troubadours first famously shared the stage at the first Farm Aid benefit concert in 1985. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Feb. 2024 Here are three upcoming Bay Area concerts that should be on your radar: Lyle Lovett — The phenomenally talented country music troubadour brings his great vocal work and wonderful wit — as well as his Acoustic Band — to the Fox Theatre in Redwood City on March 13. Jim Harrington, The Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2024 There was the troubadour John Brannen, who possessed a rootsy sound and a quaver that channeled Roy Orbison’s. Brad Shoup, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2024 At Tropical Park, the Cuban American troubadour Albita will give a free performance at 8 p.m. Friday as part of the Noches Tropicales/Tropical Nights series. Miami Staff, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 His demise denied South Florida fans what doubtless would have been their last chance to catch the beloved Canadian troubadour in concert. Greg Carannante, Sun Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2024 But the promising career of the 30-year-old blue collar troubadour came to a shocking end when his Beechcraft E18S crashed into a tree during takeoff, killing everyone aboard. Jordan Runtagh, Peoplemag, 27 Jan. 2024 The film’s namesake is famed San Diego troubadour Jack Tempchin, who in 2019 was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York alongside Cat Stevens, John Prine, Missy Elliott, Tom T. Hall and Dallas Austin. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Jan. 2024 With a massive 2024 tour of stadiums and arenas on the books, this talented troubadour will have no shortage of inspiration for his next batch of folk- and rock-flavored country. Spin Staff, SPIN, 15 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'troubadour.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, from Old Occitan trobador, from trobar to compose, from Vulgar Latin *tropare, from Latin tropus trope

First Known Use

circa 1741, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of troubadour was circa 1741

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Cite this Entry

“Troubadour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/troubadour. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

troubadour

noun
trou·​ba·​dour ˈtrü-bə-ˌdō(ə)r How to pronounce troubadour (audio)
-ˌdȯ(ə)r,
-ˌdu̇(ə)r
: a poet-musician of the Middle Ages in France and Italy
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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