footman

noun

foot·​man ˈfu̇t-mən How to pronounce footman (audio)
1
a
archaic : a traveler on foot : pedestrian
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

Examples of footman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web What’s the solution for those of us who don’t have footmen to hold the food? Mary Carol Garrity, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 In the aftermath of the Queen’s death at Balmoral Castle, senior staff, including the monarch’s private secretary Sir Edward Young, were mapping out the days ahead when a footman brought them one of the Queen’s famous red boxes. Erin Hill, Peoplemag, 14 Jan. 2024 Here, playwright Marcelo Dos Santos and director Michael Grandage pay their appreciative respects to William Tallon, the queen mum’s longtime footman who earned the nickname that gives the play its title. Peter Marks, Washington Post, 6 Dec. 2023 Denker tries to take advantage of the new footman but Thomas steps in to get revenge. Tom Fitzgerald and Lorenzo Marquez, Town & Country, 17 May 2022 The footman died in the trenches during World War I, and Lizzie never remarried. Penelope Green, New York Times, 6 May 2023 When the mortified footman offered his resignation, the queen refused, assuming that Andrew had deserved it. Simon Usborne, Town & Country, 13 Mar. 2022 And then a footman would promptly shut the window. Town & Country, 10 Jan. 2023 Whether that's bribing a footman or something. ELLE, 26 Mar. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'footman.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of footman was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near footman

Cite this Entry

“Footman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/footman. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

footman

noun
foot·​man -mən How to pronounce footman (audio)
1
: an infantry soldier
2
: a male servant who lets in visitors and waits on the table

More from Merriam-Webster on footman

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