Servant

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: serv=ant

CIDE DICTIONARY

Servant, n. [OE. servant, servaunt, F. servant, a & p. pr. of servir to serve, L. servire. See Serve, and cf. Sergeant.].

•  One who serves, or does services, voluntarily or on compulsion; a person who is employed by another for menial offices, or for other labor, and is subject to his command; a person who labors or exerts himself for the benefit of another, his master or employer; a subordinate helper.  Lev. xxv. 53.  [1913 Webster]

  " In a legal sense, stewards, factors, bailiffs, and other agents, are servants for the time they are employed in such character, as they act in subordination to others. So any person may be legally the servant of another, in whose business, and under whose order, direction, and control, he is acting for the time being."  Chitty.  [1913 Webster]

  "Men in office have begun to think themselves mere agents and servants of the appointing power, and not agents of the government or the country."  [1913 Webster]
•  One in a state of subjection or bondage.  [1913 Webster]

  "Thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt."  [1913 Webster]
•  A professed lover or suitor; a gallant.  [1913 Webster]

  "In my time a servant was I one."  [1913 Webster]

  "Our betters tell us they are our humble servants, but understand us to be their slaves."  [1913 Webster]

Servant of servants, one debased to the lowest condition of servitude. -- Your humble servant, or Your obedient servant, phrases of civility formerly often used in closing a letter, now archaic; -- at one time such phrases were exaggerated to include Your most humble, most obedient servant.

Servant, v. t. 

 To subject.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Servant, n.
1 a person who has undertaken (usu. in return for stipulated pay) to carry out the orders of an individual or corporate employer, esp. a person employed in a house on domestic duties or as a personal attendant.
2 a devoted follower, a person willing to serve another (a servant of Jesus Christ).

Idiom

your humble servant Brit. archaic a formula preceding a signature or expressing ironical courtesy. your obedient servant Brit. a formula preceding a signature, now used only in certain formal letters.

Etymology

ME f. OF (as SERVE)

THESAURUS

Servant

Charlie McCarthy, Ganymede, acolyte, adherent, adjutant, agent, aid, aide, aide-de-camp, aider, amah, ancilla, appendage, appliance, assistant, attendant, au pair girl, auxiliary, ayah, best man, blue-collar worker, bondmaid, bondman, bondslave, bondsman, bondswoman, boots, boy, breadwinner, butler, captive, casual, casual laborer, charwoman, chatelaine, chattel, chattel slave, chauffeur, chef, churl, civil servant, cleaner, cleaning man, cleaning woman, coachman, coadjutant, coadjutor, coadjutress, coadjutrix, common laborer, concubine, contrivance, cook, creature, daily, dangler, day laborer, debt slave, dependent, deputy, device, domestic servant, driver, dummy, dupe, employee, executive officer, factory worker, factotum, flunky, follower, footman, free lance, free-lancer, full-time worker, galley slave, go-between, governess, groom, hand, handmaid, handmaiden, hanger-on, heeler, helot, help, helper, helpmate, helpmeet, henchman, homager, houseboy, housekeeper, houseman, implement, industrial worker, inferior, instrument, interagent, intermediary, intermediate, intermedium, jobber, jobholder, junior, laborer, laboring man, lackey, lever, liege, liege man, liege subject, lieutenant, maid, maidservant, man, manservant, mechanism, mediator, medium, menial, midwife, migrant, minion, moiler, nanny, navvy, nurse, nursemaid, odalisque, office temporary, organ, page, paranymph, paraprofessional, pawn, peon, plaything, postilion, proletarian, public servant, puppet, retainer, right-hand man, roustabout, salaried worker, satellite, scullion, second, secondary, self-employed person, seneschal, serf, servitor, shadow, sideman, slave, steward, stewardess, stiff, stooge, subject, subordinate, supporting actor, supporting instrumentalist, tagtail, temporary, theow, thrall, toiler, tool, toy, tweeny, underling, understrapper, upstairs maid, valet, vassal, vehicle, villein, wage earner, wage slave, wageworker, waiter, waitress, ward heeler, wine steward, worker, workgirl, workhand, working girl, workingman, workingwoman, workman

ROGET THESAURUS

Servant

Agent

N doer, actor, agent, performer, perpetrator, operator, executor, executrix, practitioner, worker, stager, bee, ant, working bee, termite, white ant, laboring oar, servant of all work, factotum, workman, artisan, craftsman, handicraftsman, mechanic, operative, working man, laboring man, demiurgus, hewers of wood and drawers of water, laborer, navvy, hand, man, day laborer, journeyman, charwoman, hack, mere tool, beast of burden, drudge, fag, lumper, roustabout, maker, artificer, artist, wright, manufacturer, architect, builder, mason, bricklayer, smith, forger, Vulcan, carpenter, ganger, platelayer, blacksmith, locksmith, sailmaker, wheelwright, machinist, mechanician, engineer, sempstress, semstress, seamstress, needlewoman, workwoman, tailor, cordwainer, minister, servant, representative, coworker, party to, participator in, particeps criminis, dramatis personae, personnel, quorum pars magna fui, faber est quisque fortunae suae.

Auxiliary

N auxiliary, recruit, assistant, adjuvant, adjutant, ayudante, coaid, adjunct, help, helper, help mate, helping hand, midwife, colleague, partner, mate, confrere, cooperator, coadjutor, coadjutrix, collaborator, ally, friend, confidant, fidus Achates, pal, buddy, alter ego, confederate, accomplice, complice, accessory, accessory after the fact, particeps criminis, socius criminis, aide-de-camp, secretary, clerk, associate, marshal, right-hand, right-hand man, Friday, girl Friday, man Friday, gopher, gofer, candle- holder, bottle-holder, handmaid, servant, puppet, cat's-paw, jackal, tool, dupe, stooge, ame damnee, satellite, adherent, votary, sectarian, secretary, seconder, backer, upholder, abettor, advocate, partisan, champion, patron, friend at court, mediator, angel (theater, entertainment), friend in need, Jack at a pinch, deus ex machina, guardian angel, tutelary genius.

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, 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.

Consignee

N consignee, trustee, nominee, committee, agent, delegate, commissary, commissioner, emissary, envoy, commissionaire, messenger, diplomatist, diplomat, diplomate, corps diplomatique, embassy, ambassador, embassador, representative, resident, consul, legate, nuncio, internuncio, charge d'affaires, attache, vicegerent, plenipotentiary, functionary, placeman, curator, treasurer, factor, bailiff, clerk, secretary, attorney, advocate, solicitor, proctor, broker, underwriter, commission agent, auctioneer, one's man of business, factotum, caretaker, dalal, dubash, garnishee, gomashta, negotiator, go-between, middleman, under agent, employe, servant, referee, arbitrator, traveler, bagman, commis-voyageur, touter, commercial traveler, drummer, traveling man, newspaper correspondent, own correspondent, special correspondent.