Voyeur
/vwɑːˈjɜːr/noun
A person who gains pleasure from secretly watching other people, especially in sexual situations.
Did you know?The word comes from French voyeur, from voir “to see,” ultimately from Latin vidēre, the same ancient root behind vision, video, and evidence — proof that “seeing” has always been power.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*weid-
“to see, know”
Latin
Latin
vidēre
“to see”
Old French
Old French
voir
“to see”
19th Century
French
voyeur
“one who watches”
Modern English
English
voyeur
“a secret observer, especially one deriving sexual pleasure from watching”