mousquetaire

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French mousquetaire. Doublet of musketeer.

Noun

mousquetaire (plural mousquetaires)

1. (historical) A musketeer, especially one of the French royal musketeers of the 17th and 18th centuries, famed for their daring and their fine clothing.
   • 1751, Tobias Smollett, The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle, vol II, ch. 44:

     [H]is adversary, swelling with rage, cocked his hat fiercely in his face, and fixing his hands in his sides, pronounced with the most imperious tone, “Heark ye, Mr. Round Periwig, you must know that I am a mousquetaire.”

2. A mousquetaire cuff or mousquetaire glove, or other article of dress imagined to resemble those worn by the French mosquetaires.
3. (historical) A woman's cloak trimmed with ribbons, with large buttons, fashionable in the mid-19th century.
4. (historical) A broad turnover linen collar worn in the mid-19th century.

Derived terms

• mousquetaire cuff
• mousquetaire glove

References

• James A. H. Murray [et al.], editors (1884–1928), “Mousquetaire”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), volume VI, Part 2 (M–N), London: Clarendon Press, OCLC 15566697, page 787, column 1.

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French

Etymology

From Middle French, equivalent to mousquet +‎ -aire.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mus.kə.tɛʁ/

• Audio

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Noun

mousquetaire m (plural mousquetaires)

1. musketeer

Further reading

• “mousquetaire”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.