lackey

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: lack=ey

CIDE DICTIONARY

lackey, n. [F. laquais; cf. Sp. & Pg. lacayo; of uncertain origin; perh. of German origin, and akin to E. lick, v.].

 An attending male servant; a footman; a servile follower.  [1913 Webster]
"Like a Christian footboy or a gentleman's lackey."  [1913 Webster]

Lackey caterpillar (Zoöl.), the caterpillar, or larva, of any bombycid moth of the genus Clisiocampa; -- so called from its party-colored markings. The common European species (Clisiocampa neustria) is striped with blue, yellow, and red, with a white line on the back. The American species (Clisiocampa Americana and Clisiocampa sylvatica) are commonly called tent caterpillars. See Tent caterpillar, under Tent. -- Lackey moth (Zoöl.), the moth which produces the lackey caterpillar.

lackey, v. t. 

 To attend as a lackey; to wait upon.  [1913 Webster]
"A thousand liveried angels lackey her."  [1913 Webster]

lackey, v. i. 

 To act or serve as lackey; to pay servile attendance.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

lackey, n. & v. (also lacquey)
--n. (pl. -eys)
1 derog. a a servile political follower. b an obsequious parasitical person.
2 a a (usu. liveried) footman or manservant. b a servant.
--v.tr. (-eys, -eyed) archaic behave servilely to; dance attendance on.

Idiom

lackey moth a moth, Malacosoma neustria, developing from a brightly striped caterpillar.

Etymology

F laquais, obs. alaquais f. Cat. alacay = Sp. ALCALDE

THESAURUS

lackey

adherent, apple-polisher, ass-licker, backscratcher, backslapper, bootlick, bootlicker, brown-nose, brownie, clawback, courtier, creature, cringer, dependent, disciple, dummy, dupe, fawner, feudatory, figurehead, flatterer, flunky, follower, footlicker, footman, gillie, goon, groveler, handshaker, hanger-on, helot, henchman, homager, inferior, instrument, jackal, kowtower, led captain, lickspit, lickspittle, liege, liege man, liveried servant, man, mealymouth, minion, myrmidon, peon, puppet, retainer, satellite, serf, slave, spaniel, stooge, subordinate, suck, sycophant, thug, timeserver, toad, toady, tool, truckler, tufthunter, underling, understrapper, vassal, votary, yeoman, yes-man

ROGET THESAURUS

lackey

Servant

N servant, subject, liegeman, servant, retainer, follower, henchman, servitor, domestic, menial, help, lady help, employe, attache, official, retinue, suite, cortege, staff, court, attendant, squire, usher, page, donzel, footboy, train bearer, cup bearer, waiter, lapster, butler, livery servant, lackey, footman, flunky, flunkey, valet, valet de chambre, equerry, groom, jockey, hostler, ostler, tiger, orderly, messenger, cad, gillie, herdsman, swineherd, barkeeper, bartender, bell boy, boots, boy, counterjumper, khansamah, khansaman, khitmutgar, yardman, bailiff, castellan, seneschal, chamberlain, major-domo, groom of the chambers, secretary, under secretary, assistant secretary, clerk, subsidiary, agent, subaltern, underling, understrapper, man, maid, maidservant, handmaid, confidente, lady's maid, abigail, soubrette, amah, biddy, nurse, bonne, ayah, nursemaid, nursery maid, house maid, parlor maid, waiting maid, chamber maid, kitchen maid, scullery maid, femme de chambre, femme fille, camarista, chef de cuisine, cordon bleu, cook, scullion, Cinderella, potwalloper, maid of all work, servant of all work, laundress, bedmaker, journeyman, charwoman, bearer, chokra, gyp (Cambridge), hamal, scout (Oxford), serf, vassal, slave, negro, helot, bondsman, bondswoman, bondslave, ame damnee, odalisque, ryot, adscriptus gleboe, villian, villein, beadsman, bedesman, sizar, pensioner, pensionary, client, dependant, dependent, hanger on, satellite, parasite, led captain, protege, ward, hireling, mercenary, puppet, tool, creature, badge of slavery, bonds, in the train of, in one's pay, in one's employ, at one's call, in bonds.