trouper

From troupe +‎ -er.

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɹuːpə(ɹ)/
• Rhymes: -uːpə(ɹ)
• Homophone: trooper
• Hyphenation: troup‧er

trouper (plural troupers)

1. A member of a theatrical company (a troupe).
2. A veteran performer.
3. (figurative, colloquial, dated) One who endures adversity or hardship with an attitude of stoicism and persistence [from 1933]

   Synonyms: survivor, tough cookie

   • 1933 August 13, Pittsburgh Press, page 29:

     [...]for Mr. Ruth, who in his mental travail has conducted himself like a real trouper.

In the sense of enduring adversity outside a performance context, this spelling has been almost entirely replaced by trooper, a process starting from 1959 or earlier. Trouper is a more obscure word, especially in the postwar era, and a false etymology to military troopers is easy to construct, but these causations are speculative.

• Ruperto, pre-tour, pretour