Choffer

/ˈtʃɒfər/ noun

Definition

A person employed to drive an automobile, a chauffeur; an archaic or British variant spelling of chauffeur.

Etymology

From French 'chauffeur' (heater, fireman), originally the person who maintained steam-powered vehicles' boilers. The spelling 'choffer' is an older English approximation of the French pronunciation.

Kelly Says

When cars first replaced carriages, the job title 'chauffeur' confused English speakers so much that dozens of variant spellings appeared—'choffer,' 'chafer,' and 'shafer'—until standardization finally won out.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.