Definition

Noun: 1. A singer of folk songs: Historically, a troubadour was a traveling poet-musician, particularly in medieval France, who composed and performed songs, often about chivalry and courtly love. 2. A poet who writes verse to music: More broadly, a troubadour is any lyric poet or singer, especially one who performs songs of a romantic or sentimental nature.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The medieval troubadour traveled from castle to castle, singing songs of love and heroism.
  • In modern times, Bob Dylan is often described as a troubadour for his poetic folk songs.

Advanced Usage

• "A modern troubadour": Used figuratively to describe a contemporary singer-songwriter who travels and performs personal, narrative music, often with an acoustic style.
  • The singer, with just his guitar, embraced the life of a modern troubadour, playing in small cafes across the country.

Variants and Related Words

• Troubadour poetry (n): The body of lyric poetry composed by troubadours in the Occitan language during the 11th to 13th centuries.
  • Scholars study troubadour poetry to understand medieval culture.

Synonyms

• Minstrel: A medieval singer or musician, especially one who sang or recited lyric or heroic poetry to a musical accompaniment.
• Bard: A poet, traditionally one reciting epics and associated with a particular oral tradition.
• Folk singer: A person who sings folk songs, often accompanying themselves on guitar.

Related Phrases

• "The last of the troubadours": A phrase used to describe someone seen as a final representative of a romantic or bygone artistic tradition.
  • The documentary portrayed the aging folk musician as the last of the troubadours.

Related Idioms

• "To have a troubadour's heart": To possess a romantic, wandering, or poetic spirit.
  • With his love for travel and storytelling, he truly has a troubadour's heart.

Noun

1. a singer of folk songs