First Known Use: 1714
Dictionary
connoisseur
noun con·nois·seur \ˌkä-nə-ˈsər also -ˈsu̇r\
: a person who knows a lot about something (such as art, wine, food, etc.) : an expert in a particular subject
Full Definition of CONNOISSEUR
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: one who enjoys with discrimination and appreciation of subtleties <a connoisseur of fine wines>
— con·nois·seur·ship \-ˌship\ noun
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Examples of CONNOISSEUR
- Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, now starring in Broadway's A Raisin in the Sun, takes his grooming rituals seriously. “I take a bath around 3 a.m. when I get home to wind down. I'm a bath connoisseur,” says Combs, 34. “I have bath salts, bath beads—I can make you the best bath in the world.” —Ann Marie Cruz, People, 14 June 2004
- Police reporting had made me a connoisseur of auto accidents. Some people could tell a fake Rembrandt from the real thing; I could tell a run-of-the-mill fender bender from a real accident. —Russell Baker, The Good Times, 1989
- It was apple juice. Ortiz watched him drink it with all the delicacy of a wine connoisseur sampling new bordeaux. —Tom Clancy, The Cardinal of the Kremlin, (1988) 1989
- He was a voracious reader, a strong critic, an art connoisseur in certain directions, a collector of books, but above all he was a man of the world by profession, and loved the contacts—perhaps the collisions—of society. —Henry Adams, The Education of Henry Adams, 1907
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Origin of CONNOISSEUR
obsolete French (now connaisseur), from Old French connoisseor, from connoistre to know, from Latin cognoscere — more at cognition
Related to CONNOISSEUR
- Synonyms
- cognoscente, dilettante
Rhymes with CONNOISSEUR
CONNOISSEUR Defined for Kids
connoisseur
noun con·nois·seur \ˌkä-nə-ˈsər\
Definition of CONNOISSEUR for Kids
: a person qualified to act as a judge in matters involving taste and appreciation
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