butler

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: B1 — Intermediate

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun a manservant (usually the head servant of a household) who has charge of wines and the table
  2. noun English novelist who described a fictitious land he called Erewhon (1835-1902)
  3. noun English poet (1612-1680)

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.

In classic literature

Synonyms

pantryman

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