butler
nounverbcommon in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ˈbʌt.lə(ɹ)//
- United States//ˈbʌt.lɚ//
A manservant having charge of wines and liquors.
noun
- 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.
“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.
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. Piecewise doublet of bottler.
verb
- 1
To buttle, to dispense wines or liquors; to take the place of a butler.
Forms
- plural
- butlers
- past tense
- butlered
- past participle
- butlered
- present participle
- butlering
- third person singular
- butlers
butler · A manservant having charge of wines and liquors.
Butler · A surname. An English and Irish surname from Middle English…butt · The larger or thicker end of something; the blunt end, in…Butt · A surname. A surname from English.