travois

• travail, travoise, travoy

From Canadian French, from an alteration of travail (etymology 2), from Medieval Latin trepalium (“instrument of torture”), probably a calque from Ancient Greek. See πάσσαλος (pássalos, “peg”).

• IPA^(key): /tɹəˈvɔɪ/

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travois (plural travoises or travois)

1. A historical frame structure that was used by indigenous peoples, notably the Plains Aboriginals of North America, to drag loads over land, pulled by person, dog, or horse.
   • 1892, Julian Ralph, On Canada's Frontier:

     On the plains they will have horses dragging travoises, dogs with travoises, women and children loaded with impedimenta.

   • 1994, Cormac McCarthy, The Crossing:

     Riding out for wood he watched his shadow and the shadow of the horse and travois cross those palings tree by tree.

• travois on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons

• Viators, viators