butler
See also: Butler
English
Etymology
From Middle English butler, butlere, boteler, botelere, from Old French buttiler, butiller, boteillier (“officer in charge of wine”), from Medieval Latin botellārius, equivalent to bottle + -er.[1] Piecewise doublet of bottler.
Pronunciation
Noun
butler (plural butlers)
- A manservant having charge of wines and liquors.
- 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. …"
- A valet, a male personal attendant.
Synonyms
Derived terms
- butler café
- butler cafe
- butler lie
- butler steak
- buttle (backformation)
- silent butler
Related terms
- butt (large cask)
Translations
manservant having charge of wines and liquors
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chief male servant
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Verb
butler (third-person singular simple present butlers, present participle butlering, simple past and past participle butlered)
- To buttle, to dispense wines or liquors; to take the place of a butler.
References
- Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “butler”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
Anagrams
Dutch
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈbʏt.lər/
Audio (file) - Hyphenation: but‧ler
Swedish
Usage notes
Chiefly of butlers in England. See also betjänt.
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