houseboy

noun

house·​boy ˈhau̇s-ˌbȯi How to pronounce houseboy (audio)

Examples of houseboy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web His mother moved the family to Malden, W.Va., where Washington worked as a salt packer, coal miner and houseboy. Tobi Raji, Washington Post, 4 Feb. 2024 Between this new doc, the premiere of Porsha Williams’s new spinoff, the new season of RHOC, Nicki Minaj hosting the RHOP reunion, the RHOM trailer, and the finale of Winter House, the Institute is busier than Andy Cohen’s houseboy during a holiday weekend. Brian Moylan, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2021 Collins is playing Skip, the houseboy in the estate where the play takes place. Myrna Petlicki, Chicago Tribune, 5 Dec. 2022 The older man then offers Casey a thankless live-in position as houseboy and party plaything, basically stripping him of every last shred of dignity. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 June 2022 Police arrested the only one left alive on the property — a 19-year-old houseboy. Los Angeles Times, 28 July 2019 Naomi Campbell was Scarlett O’Hara, Manolo Blahnik was a gardener or barefoot field hand, and John Galliano was a houseboy, photographed scrubbing the floor! André Leon Talley, Vogue, 19 Feb. 2019 In his novel, the winning ticket belongs to a flamboyant madam of a high-class brothel and Ernest becomes her new houseboy. Debbie Arrington, sacbee, 1 Sep. 2017 The underage ones, like him, had become bar sweeps or houseboys for Americans, while the older, luckier ones dodged army service, becoming thieves or pimps or rich men’s servants. Megan Mahew Bergman, The Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'houseboy.' 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

1793, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of houseboy was in 1793

Dictionary Entries Near houseboy

Cite this Entry

“Houseboy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/houseboy. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

houseboy

noun
house·​boy -ˌbȯi How to pronounce houseboy (audio)
: a boy or man hired as a general household servant

More from Merriam-Webster on houseboy

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