valetn.
/ˈvalᵻt/, /ˈvaleɪ/, U.S. /væˈleɪ/, /ˈvælət/ 1. A man-servant performing duties chiefly relating to the person of his master; a gentleman's personal attendant.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > subjection > service > servant > personal or domestic servant > attendant or personal servant > [noun] > valet
manc1175
valet1567
varlet of the chamber1567
point-trusser1594
valect1610
valet-de-chambre1646
Andrew1700
gentleman's gentleman1704
bearer1727
sirdar-bearer1782
sardar1816
tiring-man1856
Jeeves1952
1567 G. Fenton tr. M. Bandello Certaine Tragicall Disc. i. sig. Biiv Not worthy any waye to be vallet to the worste of us.
1587 in D. Masson Reg. Privy Council Scotl. (1881) 1st Ser. IV. 181 Ane of the vallettis of the Kingis Majesteis chalmer.
1614 J. Selden Titles of Honor 333 At this day, a Diener, seruant or vallet is both in Alemanique and Belgique called Ein Knecht.
1664 S. Butler Hudibras: Second Pt. ii. ii. 113 Before the Dame, and round about, March'd Whifflers, and Staffiers on foot, With Lacquies, Grooms, Valets, and Pages.
1691 Satyr against French 15 That Gentleman does much himself forget, Who in his Chamber has not French Vallet.
1691 Satyr against French 25 From hence they'd fly,..And leave not one poor Vallet here behind.
1719 W. Hamilton Epist. to Ramsay ii. viii I wad nae care to be thy vallie, Or thy recorder.
1771 T. Smollett Humphry Clinker I. 181 We have taken an occasional valet, whom I intend hereafter to hire as my own servant.
a1845 R. H. Barham Knight & Lady in Ingoldsby Legends (1847) 3rd Ser. 279 Thompson, the Valet, Look'd gravely at Sally.
1856 B. Brodie Psychol. Inq. (ed. 3) I. vi. 218 The rich man's valet studies his master's temper and caprices.
1885 Athenæum 26 Sept. 393/2 The chief characters in his plays are heavy fathers and confidential valets.
2. Military. A footman acting as attendant or servant to a horseman. rare. (Cf. varlet n. 1b.)
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > warrior > soldier > military servant > [noun]
knighta1100
squirec1290
page?a1400
custrona1425
varlet1470
custrel1474
esquire1477
servitora1513
valet1591
stokaghea1599
calo1617
bedet1633
Tartar1747
batman1755
goujat1776
waiter1828
striker1867
beltman1869
doggy1909
dingbat1918
batwoman1941
1591 W. Garrard & R. Hitchcock Arte of Warre 269 There be..two quarters for horsemen, the which their vallets are to entrench with a smal trench.
1832 J.-C.-L. S. de Sismondi Hist. Ital. Republics xiii. 281 They became terror-struck when they perceived that the French caused dismounted horsemen to be put to death by their valets.
Compounds
C1.
a. Appositive, as valet-courier, valet harquebusier, valet maid, valet-musician.
ΚΠ
1604 R. Dallington View of Fraunce sig. K4 [A horseman] who..shall quitte his horse and serue on foot, prouided that hee haue with him a vallet Harquebutier.
1845 E. Holmes Life Mozart 5 The Archbishop of Saltzburg..entertained him in the capacity of valet-musician.
1867 T. Carlyle Reminisc. (1881) II. 32 The clever old valet maid that waited on them.
1897 ‘H. S. Merriman’ In Kedar's Tents xxii. 243 A valet-courier of taciturn habit.
b. Attributive.
valet judgement n.
ΚΠ
1855 T. Carlyle Crit. & Misc. Ess. (1857) IV. 354 Sublime to the valet judgment.
valet service n.
ΚΠ
1939 R. Stout Some Buried Caesar xvi. 233 You should have put on some old clothes. The valet service here is terrible.
1981 D. Boggis Time to Betray i. 9 Rousselot wore a different pair of expensive slacks, with the abandon of a man used to valet service.
valet world n.
ΚΠ
1843 T. Carlyle Past & Present i. iv. 35 It is to the sham-hero that..the valet-world belongs.
C2.
valet parking n. North American a service provided at a restaurant, etc., in which an attendant parks patrons' motor vehicles.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > transport > transport or conveyance in a vehicle > vehicular traffic > [noun] > a parking place > area where caravans may be parked > service provided at a restaurant, etc.
valet parking1960
1960 Britannica Bk. of Year 558/1 Valet parking..referred to a system in which an attendant was responsible for parking the car.
1976 Globe & Mail (Toronto) 8 Nov. 16/7 A swish little marquee blinks out an offer of valet parking.
1984 Tampa (Florida) Tribune 5 Apr. 3 d/5 Reservations are due for the Scholarship Night at Tampa Jai-Alai Fronton... Valet parking is available.
valet-park v. [as a back-formation]
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > transport > transport or conveyance in a vehicle > vehicular traffic > [verb (transitive)] > have one's car parked by an attendant
valet-park1983
1983 C. Hyde Tenth Flight ix. 87 They valet-parked the Triumph and they made the flight with ten minutes to spare.
Derivatives
ˈvaletage n. the service rendered by a valet.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > subjection > service > servant > personal or domestic servant > attendant or personal servant > [noun] > valet > action or position of
valet-de-chambreship1779
valethood1843
valeting1857
valetage1890
1890 Sat. Rev. 17 May 588/2 The vassalage or the valetage is prompted by an honest personal devotion, like that of Tom Steele to O'Connell.
ˈvalethood n. the state or condition of being a valet.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > subjection > service > servant > personal or domestic servant > attendant or personal servant > [noun] > valet > action or position of
valet-de-chambreship1779
valethood1843
valeting1857
valetage1890
1843 T. Carlyle Past & Present ii. ix. 116 The fruit of long ages of confirmed Valethood,..cloth-worship and quack-worship.
ˈvaletism n. the character or spirit of a valet.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > subjection > service > servant > personal or domestic servant > attendant or personal servant > [noun] > valet > character or spirit of
valetism1875
1875 A. Helps Social Pressure xiii. 183 To far other persons besides the valet by reason of his valetism, does the hero often cease to be a hero.
Draft additions December 2003
Originally and chiefly U.S. A (usually metal or wooden) rack on which clothing may be hung in order to retain its shape, facilitate efficient dressing, etc. Also occasionally in extended use.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > [noun] > rack for
fripperya1625
portmanteau1728
clothes-rack1857
rack1889
valet1942
1942 N.Y. Times 22 Nov. 34 (advt.) Give him a valet rack to keep his clothes in apple-pie order. This perfect ‘servant’ holds his suit, shirt, tie, undies, socks and shoes in complete readiness for speedy dressing.
1980 TWA Ambassador Oct. 92/3 Plot in this post-Vonnegut, post-Brautigan novel is really little more than a rickety valet upon which to hang changes of rhetoric.
2003 Interior Design Jan. 103/2 Their customizable contemporary valet, constructed from aluminum, stainless steel, and either fiberboard or hardwood, includes hangers, tie rack, mirror, and shelf.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1916; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
valetv.
/ˈvalᵻt/, U.S. /ˈvælət/ a. transitive. To wait upon, to attend or serve, as a valet.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > subjection > service > servant > personal or domestic servant > attendant or personal servant > attend as servant [verb (intransitive)] > act as valet
valet1840
society > authority > subjection > service > servant > personal or domestic servant > attendant or personal servant > attend upon as servant [verb (transitive)] > as valet
valet1840
1840 J. T. J. Hewlett Peter Priggins xx, in New Monthly Mag. He always comes down to college to valet me, take my things away to brush, and so on.
1861 T. Hughes Tom Brown at Oxf. I. i. 14 Fancy me waited upon and valeted by a stout party in black, of quiet, gentlemanly manners.
1886 A. Griffiths Pauper Peer i If he keeps no servant, the proprietor of the establishment will valet him.
b. To look after (clothes, etc.).
ΚΠ
1931 [see valeting n. at Derivatives]. 1951 [see valeting n. at Derivatives].
c. To clean (a motor vehicle).
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > cleanness and dirtiness > cleaning > cleaning other miscellaneous things > clean other miscellaneous things [verb (transitive)] > clean a vehicle
valet1972
detail1981
society > travel > means of travel > a conveyance > vehicle > powered vehicle > testing, servicing, and storage of motor vehicles > test, service and store motor vehicles [verb (transitive)] > clean motor vehicle
valet1972
detail1981
1972 Drive Spring 147/1 It's not difficult to imagine an owner confining his chauffeur to valeting the car, while he hogs the driving.
1976 Star (Sheffield) 20 Nov. (advt.) Young Man wanted..to serve petrol, valet cars, take forecourt enquiries.
Derivatives
ˈvaleting n.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > subjection > service > servant > personal or domestic servant > attendant or personal servant > [noun] > valet > action or position of
valet-de-chambreship1779
valethood1843
valeting1857
valetage1890
1857 T. Hughes Tom Brown's School Days i. iii. 63 He would have gone without nether integuments altogether, sooner than have had recourse to female valeting.
1861 J. W. Carlyle Lett. III. 77 I have all the valeting to do myself.
1931 Times 16 Mar. 1/3 (advt.) Clothes valeting... They will stand years of hard wear if you send them to us to be turned.
1951 Good Housek. Home Encycl. 296/1 Careful valeting lengthens the life of clothes.
1976 Drive Jan.–Feb. 11/2 The eight suggestions that, in order of importance, would contribute most to the economical running and upkeep of the average family car were: 1 regular servicing;..5 regular valeting.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1916; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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