Jongleur vs. Minstrel — What's the Difference?

A wandering minstrel, poet, or entertainer in medieval England and France.

A minstrel was a medieval European entertainer. Originally describing any type of entertainer such as a musician, juggler, acrobat, singer or fool, the term later, from the sixteenth century, came to mean a specialist entertainer who sang songs and played musical instruments.

An itinerant entertainer in medieval England and France; roles included song, music, acrobatics etc.; a troubadour.

A medieval entertainer who traveled from place to place, especially to sing and recite poetry.

A juggler; a conjurer.

A lyric poet.

A mountebank.

A musician.

In the Middle Ages, a court attendant or other person who, for hire, recited or sang verses, usually of his own composition. See Troubadour.

A performer in a minstrel show.

A juggler; a conjuror. See Juggler.

(historical) Originally, an entertainer employed to juggle, play music, sing, tell stories, etc.; a buffoon, a fool, a jester; later, a medieval (especially travelling) entertainer who would recite and sing poetry, often to their own musical accompaniment.

A singer of folk songs

(by extension)

Any lyric poet, musician, or singer.

One of a troupe of entertainers, often a white person who wore black makeup (blackface), to present a so-called minstrel show, being a variety show of banjo music, dance, and song (now sometimes regarded as racist).

An amphetamine tablet, typically black, or black and white, in colour.

(transitive) To play (a tune on a musical instrument); to sing (a song).

(intransitive) To act as a minstrel; to entertain by playing a musical instrument, singing, etc.

In the Middle Ages, one of an order of men who subsisted by the arts of poetry and music, and sang verses to the accompaniment of a harp or other instrument; in modern times, a poet; a bard; a singer and harper; a musician.

A singer of folk songs

A performer in a minstrel show

Celebrate by singing, in the style of minstrels