Definition

Noun: A boy or young man employed to run errands, typically performing minor tasks and deliveries for an employer or business.

Usage

This term specifically refers to a male, often a youth, whose job is to carry messages, make small purchases, or perform other simple tasks outside the office or home. It describes a specific role, not the act of running an errand itself.

Examples

• Noun:
  • He started his career as an errand boy for a local law firm.
  • The shopkeeper sent the errand boy to deliver the package.

Advanced Usage

• The term can sometimes be used metaphorically to describe someone in a lowly position who is given trivial tasks.
  • In the corporate hierarchy, the new intern felt like just an errand boy.

Variants and Related Words

• Errand runner (n): A more gender-neutral term for someone who runs errands.
• Gofer (n, informal): A person who is employed to run errands, from the phrase "go for" (coffee, copies, etc.).
• Messenger (n): A person who carries messages, which can be a more formal or specific role than an errand boy.

Synonyms

• Courier (for deliveries)
• Runner
• Office boy

Notes on Meaning

The term "errand boy" is somewhat dated and can carry connotations of a menial or junior position. In modern contexts, more neutral terms like "messenger," "delivery assistant," or "office assistant" are often preferred. The core meaning remains a person, specifically a young male, hired to perform small external tasks.

Noun

1. a boy who earns money by running errands