saboteur

noun sah-boh-TER Rare

Origin: French 'saboter' (to bungle, to sabotage), from 'sabot' (wooden shoe)

Usage Note

Saboteur names a person who deliberately damages or undermines something. The word entered English directly from French during WWII contexts. The feminine form is une saboteuse. The original connection to sabot (clog) reflects the idea of workers throwing shoes into machinery.

Examples

"Les saboteurs ont détruit le pont pendant la guerre."

Natural Translation

The saboteurs destroyed the bridge during the war.

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