butler

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See also: Butler

English

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Etymology

From Middle English butler, butlere, botelere, from Old French buttiler, butiller, boteillier (officer in charge of wine), from Medieval Latin botellārius, equivalent to bottle +‎ -er. [1]

Pronunciation

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  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ʌtlə(ɹ)
  • Hyphenation: but‧ler

Noun

butler (plural butlers)

  1. A manservant having charge of wines and liquors.
  2. The chief male servant of a household who has charge of other employees, receives guests, directs the serving of meals, and performs various personal services.
    • 1929, Baldwyn Dyke Acland, chapter 2, in Filibuster:
      “One marble hall, with staircase complete, one butler and three flunkeys to receive a retired sojer who dares to ring the bell. D'you know, old boy, I gave my bowler to the butler, whangee to one flunkey, gloves to another, and there was the fourth poor blighter looking like an orphan at a Mothers' Meeting. …"
  3. A valet, a male personal attendant.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

butler (third-person singular simple present butlers, present participle butlering, simple past and past participle butlered)

  1. To buttle, to dispense wines or liquors; to take the place of a butler.

References

Anagrams