pirogue

English

pirogues (1), Madagascar

Etymology

From French pirogue, in turn from Spanish piragua, from Kari'na piraua. Doublet of periagua.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pəˈɹəʊɡ/, /pɪˈɹəʊɡ/
• Rhymes: -əʊɡ

Noun

pirogue (plural pirogues)

1. A canoe of shallow draft, made by hollowing a log.

   Synonym: periagua

2. A small flat-bottom boat of shallow draft.
3. (Cajun cooking) A boat-shaped food that is stuffed with seafood.
   • 1996, Rick Perlmutter, Gayle Perlmutter, Walt Disney World for Lovers, page 240:

     There are even more elaborately prepared Cajun specialties, such as Bayou Bouillabaisse and pirogue of pasta and seafood.

   • 1999, Fodor's 2000 USA, page 484:

     The eggplant pirogue, a regional specialty, is especially good here.

   • 2005 August, “Restaurants”, in Indianapolis Monthly, page 300:

     Diners love the pirogue bread with crawfish tails, the barbecue shrimp with fiery tasso and the banana bread pudding.

   • 2019, Marlys Beider, Continuum, page 257:

     She had ordered eggplant pirogue — a hollowed out eggplant, breaded, fried, and stuffed with shrimp, crawfish, and crab.

Translations

small dugout boat

• Czech: piroga f
• Polish: piroga (pl) f
• Slovak: piroga f

Further reading

• pirogue on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• groupie

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish piragua.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pi.ʁɔɡ/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

pirogue f (plural pirogues)

1. pirogue
   • 1797, La Pérouse, Voyage:

     Les pirogues étaient à balancier; chacune avait de trois à cinq hommes; les moyennes pouvaient avoir vingt-quatre pieds de longueur, un pied seulement de largeur, et à peu près autant de profondeur.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 1977, Jacques Brel (lyrics and music), “Les Marquises”:

     Les pirogues s’en vont, les pirogues s’en viennent / Et mes souvenirs deviennent ce que les vieux en font

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. (by extension) any canoe

   Synonyms: barque, canoë, canot

   • 1880, Victor Hugo, Âne:

     Les baleiniers, armant leurs pirogues de pêche, / Sont moins prompts à lancer leur barque au flot mouvant […] / Qu’un pédant n’est rapide à défaire un esprit.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Derived terms

• crier pour la pirogue
• piroguer
• piroguier

Descendants

• → English: pirogue
• → Greek: πιρόγα (piróga)
• → Italian: piroga
• → Portuguese: piroga

Further reading

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