footman

noun foot·man \ ˈfu̇t-mən \

Definition of footman

1 a archaic :a traveler on foot :pedestrian

b :infantryman

2 a :a servant in livery formerly attending a rider or required to run in front of his master's carriage

b :a servant who serves at table, tends the door, and runs errands

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Recent Examples of footman from the Web

Thirty years earlier, Diana and Charles had been driven from the palace in an open-topped State Landau with footmen, like a scene out of Cinderella.

— life books, Time, "The World-Changing Evolution of Princess Diana," 9 Aug. 2017
On the afternoon of the riots, Cooper recounts, the U.S. ambassador Bill Sullivan, summoned by the shah for an audience, could find no-one, not even a footman amid the palace’s empty rooms, to lead him to the king.

— amir-hussein radjy, New Republic, "Rewriting the Iranian Revolution," 6 July 2017
They were taught that the only proper delivery method was hand delivery by a footman who could return with the response.

— judith martin, The Mercury News, "Miss Manners: Do I have to make a donation at a charity event?," 22 Jan. 2017
The game is played on a simple 6×6 grid, and each player starts with their Duke and two Footmen.

— jonathan h. liu, WIRED, "Kickstarter Alert: The Duke," 27 June 2012

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'footman.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of footman

14th century

FOOTMAN Defined for English Language Learners

footman

noun

Definition of footman for English Language Learners

: a male servant who lets visitors into a house and serves food at the dinner table

FOOTMAN Defined for Kids

footman

noun foot·man \ ˈfu̇t-mən \

Definition of footman for Students

plural footmen \-mən\

:a male servant who performs various duties (as letting visitors in and serving food)

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Spanish Central: Translation of footman Nglish: Translation of footman for Spanish speakers

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