Thoreau tho·reau UK/θəˈɹəʊ/ US/ˈθɔːɹəʊ/ uncommon noun 1. United States writer and social critic (1817-1862) SynonymsHenry David Thoreau Related words Word family Thoreauvian Broader terms writer WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved.