lackey
/ˈlaki
/noun (plural lackeys)
1A servant, especially a liveried footman or manservant: lackeys were waiting to help them from the carriage...
- This is a man who treats women like servants and men like lackeys.
- He lived in the great house in Doocastle surrounded by servants, lackeys, and half-sirs who did his bidding without question.
- Kerry talks in generalities because he is alone and comes from nowhere and lives among servants and lackeys in hotel rooms.
Synonyms
servant, flunkey, footman, manservant, valet, liveried servant, steward, butler, equerry, retainer, vassal, page, attendant, houseboy, domestic, drudge, factotum
informal skivvy
archaic scullion
1.1 derogatory A person who is obsequiously willing to obey or serve another person: he denied that he was the lackey of the Chief Secretary to the Treasury...
- I saved you because you and your lackeys over there serve a purpose.
- And, this group of people no longer had real power, over real things; they had the power to become lackeys; and to serve as lackeys.
- Radio stations lend their microphones to these degenerate rappers who start wars on the air that end up affecting all their sycophants, toadies and lackeys who want to keep it real.
Synonyms
toady, flunkey, sycophant, flatterer, minion, doormat, dogsbody, spaniel, stooge, hanger-on, lickspittle, parasite;
tool, puppet, instrument, pawn, subordinate, underling, creature, cat's paw
informal yes-man, bootlicker
2 (also lackey moth) A brownish European moth of woods and hedgerows, the caterpillars of which live communally in a silken tent on the food tree.
Mid 19th century: from the resemblance of the coloured stripes of its caterpillars to a footman's livery
- Malacosoma neustria, family Lasiocampidae.
verb (lackeys, lackeying, lackeyed) [with object] archaic
Behave servilely towards; wait on as a lackey: he had lackeyed and flattered Walpole
Origin
Early 16th century: from French laquais, perhaps from Catalan alacay, from Arabic al-qā'id 'the chief'.