Meaning & use
Devoirs
Last updated
Formal expressions of respect or courtesy; one's duty or obligation, especially in the phrase "pay one's devoirs."
See it in a sentence
The young officer paid his devoirs to the general before taking his leave.
At the reception, guests took turns paying their devoirs to the retiring ambassador.
A note on using this word
Borrowed from French "devoir" (duty); in English it survives mainly in the old-fashioned phrase "to pay one's devoirs."
Words with a similar meaning
respectscomplimentsregards
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