Definition

1. Noun:
   • A male servant in a large household: A footman is a man employed as a domestic servant in a large, often wealthy or aristocratic, household. His duties traditionally include running errands, doing chores, attending the door, serving at meals, and assisting with the care of guests and luggage.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The footman opened the carriage door for the arriving guests.
  • In the 19th century, a wealthy family might employ several footmen to manage the household.
  • His duties as a footman included polishing the silver and answering the front door.

Advanced Usage

• Historical/Literary Context: The role of a footman is often associated with historical periods (e.g., Victorian era) or settings in classic literature and period dramas, symbolizing formality and social hierarchy.
  • The novel's depiction of the footman's life provides insight into the class structure of the time.

Variants and Related Words

• Footmen (n): The standard plural form of "footman."
• Servant (n): A more general term for a person employed to perform domestic duties.
• Butler (n): The head male servant in a household, typically of higher rank than a footman.
• Valet (n): A personal male attendant responsible for a gentleman's clothes and appearance.

Synonyms

• Attendant: A person employed to provide a service to the public or to another person.
• Lackey: (Often derogatory) A servant, especially one who behaves in a servile manner.
• Domestic: A person employed in a household.

Related Phrases

• In livery: A phrase describing a footman or other servant who wears a special uniform provided by the employer.
  • The footmen were dressed in the family's distinctive livery.

Noun

1. a man employed as a servant in a large establishment (as a palace) to run errands and do chores