La Salle, Ren ‧ é Ro ‧ bert, Sieur de /lə ˈsæl, ˈreneɪ ˈrɒbeə $ rəˈneɪ rɑːˈbeər, ˈsjɜː də $ ˈsjɜːr-/ BrE AmE
(1643–87) a French ↑ explorer who travelled through North America, down the Mississippi River, and claimed a large area of the southern part of North America for France, naming it ↑ Louisiana . He was killed by his followers when another ↑ expedition he was leading was unsuccessful and they got lost.