valet

noun

va·let | \ ˈva-lət

, ˈva-(ˌ)lā, va-ˈlā

Definition of valet

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : an employee (as of a hotel or a public facility) who performs personal services for customers

b : a man's male servant who performs personal services (such as taking care of clothing)

2 : a device (such as a rack or tray) for holding clothing or personal effects

valet

verb

valeted; valeting; valets

Definition of valet (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to serve as a valet

Examples of valet in a Sentence

Verb

She runs her own valeting business.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Service: Supple and personable Reservations: Accepted Parking: Street or valetSpecial diets: They can be accommodated. — Tim Smith, baltimoresun.com, "Food Market still draws crowds, delivers imaginative fare in Hampden," 31 May 2018 More likely to score a prime spot with the valet in Miami? — Ezra Dyer, Popular Mechanics, "The McLaren 570S Spider Is Your Just-Won-the-Lottery Car," 12 Dec. 2018 The private ski valet and café will get you onto the mountain in time for first tracks. — Alex Postman, Condé Nast Traveler, "If You're Skiing the Rockies This Winter, Read This First," 4 Dec. 2018 The parking lot can accommodate a total of 163 cars, but a portion of the lot on the north side of the building can be turned into a valet area that would increase parking to about 200 cars. — Alexandra Kukulka, chicagotribune.com, "Northbrook considers Joy of the Game move, townhome development," 28 June 2018 On most weekends, the people waiting for a table spill out into the valet area behind the restaurant. — Jenn Harris, latimes.com, "The story behind Raffi's Place, and some of the best koobideh kebabs in Glendale," 21 Mar. 2018 This has traditionally included restaurant servers, bartenders, valets, and bellhops. — Alexia Fernández Campbell, Vox, "DC repealed a ballot measure giving restaurant workers a raise. But it might be back.," 12 Dec. 2018 In sum, here's the short list: the doorman, bellman, valet, food and beverage staff, shuttle drivers, housekeepers, and concierge staff. — Jennifer Lance, Glamour, "Are You Tipping Enough During Your Hotel Stay?," 12 Dec. 2018 Surveillance cameras reportedly captured the two using the hotel’s valet service, in the lobby and in an elevator. — Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, "Cody Wilson, man behind 3-D printed gun, arrested in Taiwan amid sex assault allegations, official says," 21 Sep. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The following morning, Hawk walked the streets of L.A. searching for Spencer’s car; it had been valeted at a restaurant instead of the hotel. — Jacob Feldman, SI.com, "How Does an Action Sports Superstar Age? Tony Hawk Is Figuring It Out on the Fly," 2 July 2018 In 2016, Volvo announced a trial concierge service that allows Bay Area S90 and XC90 owners to get their cars refueled, serviced, or valeted through a smartphone app. — Valentina Palladino, Ars Technica, "Amazon Key expands to deliver packages inside your car," 24 Apr. 2018 Not the sort of thing that impresses Angelenos, so blasé about celebrities and rich kids valeting their supercars at restaurants. — Jack Stewart, WIRED, "Tesla's Model 3 Is the Best Electric Car You Can't Buy—Yet," 22 Mar. 2018 At the company's top-tier properties, expect to pay more than $21 to valet park for short stays of two hours or less. — Jay Jones, latimes.com, "MGM raises parking prices for visitors and hotel guests at Las Vegas properties," 31 Jan. 2018 During his college days, Weaver performed various odd jobs for McCombs, including chauffeuring the businessman and valeting for his holiday parties. — Patrick Danner, San Antonio Express-News, "Texas Power Broker Rad Weaver from locker room to board room," 22 Jan. 2018 Stanton, who hit a record 61 homers over three rounds in winning at San Diego, had already been relegated to valet for teammate Bour, bringing him an energy-boosting doughnut during a timeout. — Craig Davis, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Aaron Judge powers way to Home Run Derby crown after Giancarlo Stanton falls in first round," 10 July 2017 ORANGE Drivers circling the Old Towne Orange plaza looking for parking could soon valet their vehicles. — Jonathan Winslow, Orange County Register, "Valet parking proposed in Old Towne Orange," 5 May 2017 If there’s one tell that signals an industry insider—beyond the competitive name-dropping or valeting the latest Tesla— — Margaret Heidenry, HWD, "How Celebrity Production Companies Went from Joke to Box-Office (and Oscar) Gold," 24 Feb. 2017

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

History and Etymology for valet

Noun

Middle English vadlet, valet, varlet "male servant, groom, knight's attendant," borrowed from Anglo-French, "young man of noble birth serving a lord, boy, servant," going back to Gallo-Romance *vassellittus, diminutive of *vassellus, diminutive of early Medieval Latin vassus "serf, servant, vassal" — more at vassal

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