lacquey

A wealthy merchant is followed by his lacquey through the market.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A male servant: "lacquey" refers to a footman or male servant who performs menial tasks, often in a household or for a wealthy person.
   • A servile follower: The word also means a person who behaves obsequiously or fawningly, acting as a submissive attendant to someone in power.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The duke dismissed his lacquey for being late. (A male servant who attends to the duke.)
  • The dictator surrounded himself with lackeys who agreed with everything he said. (Servile followers who flatter and obey without question.)

Advanced Usage

• "to play the lacquey": to act in a servile or submissive manner, often for personal gain.

  • He played the lacquey to his boss, hoping for a promotion. (He behaved obsequiously toward his superior.)

• "lacquey of the court": a phrase used historically to describe a courtier who performs lowly duties at a royal court.

  • The young nobleman began his career as a lacquey of the court. (He started as a servant in the royal household.)

Variants and Related Words

• Lackey (n): the more common modern spelling of "lacquey," meaning a servant or servile follower.

  • The politician’s lackeys carried out his every command. (His servile assistants obeyed him.)

• Lacqueyism (n): the practice or attitude of behaving like a lacquey; servility.

  • The culture of lacqueyism in the office made honest feedback impossible. (The atmosphere of fawning obedience.)

Synonyms

• Servant: a person who performs duties for others, especially in a household.
• Footman: a male servant who attends to the door, table, or carriage.
• Sycophant: a person who acts obsequiously toward someone important to gain advantage.
• Minion: a servile follower or subordinate.

Related Idioms

• To be someone's lackey: to be a submissive or obedient follower of another person.

  • He was tired of being his brother’s lackey, always running errands for him. (He was weary of acting as a servant.)

• To lackey after someone: to follow or attend to someone in a servile manner (archaic).

  • The courtiers lackeyed after the queen, hoping for her favor. (They followed her obsequiously.)