Chauffeuse

Chauffeuse is the feminine form of chauffeur in French, used to refer to a woman who drives a vehicle professionally. In French, it is a standard occupational term; in English-language contexts, the feminine form is occasionally encountered in bilingual or historical texts, but chauffeur is often used as a gender-neutral title.

The word derives from the French verb chauffer, “to heat,” via the agent-noun suffix -eur. The masculine form chauffeur dates to the late 19th century; the feminine chauffeuse mirrors other gendered agent nouns in French.

In furniture and interior design, chauffeuse denotes a type of small upholstered seating piece used for lounging, typically found in discussions of traditional French decorative arts. The term appears in French-language catalogs and writings on antiques and period rooms, where it is distinguished from other seating such as the chaise longue or settee.

Usage notes: In contemporary English, English writers generally prefer gender-neutral terms like chauffeur or driver, and chauffeuse is most often seen in French texts or in historical or design-oriented contexts. The term is primarily of linguistic and design-historical interest rather than a common contemporary job title.

See also: Chauffeur; chaise longue; settee; seating furniture.