butlery

From Middle English buttillary, buttlarye, botelerye, botelerie, from Old French boteillerie, butelerie and Medieval Latin butellaria.

butlery (countable and uncountable, plural butleries)

1. (countable) butler's pantry; serving pantry

   Synonym: (archaic) butlerie

2. (uncountable) The work or role of a butler.
   • 2007, Steven A. Grasse, The Evil Empire: 101 Ways That England Ruined the World, page 53:

     The dark side of butlery was even more evident during the height of the Evil Empire, when the strongest and most enterprising local men were made into footmen and majordomos, completely robbed of their dignity but paid for a month's work what they might otherwise make in a year.

• brutely