Meaning & use
a butler
Last updated
UK/ə ˈbʌtlə/
US/ə ˈbʌtlər/
Meaning
nouncountable
the main male servant in a large house, who manages the other servants and serves food and drink.
Grammar: Countable: a butler, two butlers. The word usually refers to a man, but it can be used for a woman in modern contexts.
Patterns
- work as a butler
- hire a butler
The butler opened the door and welcomed the guests.
In the old mansion, a butler took care of the family's daily needs.
He worked as a butler for a wealthy family in London.
Word forms
| plural | butlers |
|---|
Common combinations
- a head butler
- The head butler trained all the new servants.
- hire a butler
- The rich couple decided to hire a butler for their new home.
- a butler's uniform
- The butler's uniform was a black suit and white gloves.
- serve as a butler
- He served as a butler in the same house for thirty years.
Synonyms and how they differ
- manservant
- Manservant is an old-fashioned word for any male servant; a butler is the most senior one.
- housekeeper
- A housekeeper manages cleaning and household supplies, often a woman, while a butler manages the male servants and serves at table.
Word family
- butlering noun
- the work or profession of a butler (rare).
Practice
What does a butler do?
Choose one answer.
A butler is the main male servant in a large house. The other options are different jobs.
Make it your own
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