DEVOIR Meaning of DEVOIR in English [ də'vwα: ]■ noun archaic a person's duty.Phrasespay one's ~s pay one's respects formally.OriginME: from OFr. deveir , from L. debere 'owe', influenced by Fr. ~ . Concise Oxford English vocab. Сжатый оксфордский словарь английского языка. 2004