butler

From Old French butiller (“officer in charge of wine”). [1] See bottle.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈbʌt.lə(ɹ)/
• (US) enPR: bŭtʹ-lər, IPA^(key): /ˈbʌt.lɚ/

• Audio (US)

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• Rhymes: -ʌtlə(ɹ)
• Hyphenation: but‧ler

butler (plural butlers)

1. A manservant having charge of wines and liquors.
2. The chief male servant of a household who has charge of other employees, receives guests, directs the serving of meals, and performs various personal services.
   • 1929, Baldwyn Dyke Acland, chapter 2, in Filibuster:

     “One marble hall, with staircase complete, one butler and three flunkeys to receive a retired sojer who dares to ring the bell. D'you know, old boy, I gave my bowler to the butler, whangee to one flunkey, gloves to another, and there was the fourth poor blighter looking like an orphan at a Mothers' Meeting. …"

3. A valet, a male personal attendant.

• buttle (backformation)

butler (third-person singular simple present butlers, present participle butlering, simple past and past participle butlered)

1. To buttle, to dispense wines or liquors; to take the place of a butler.

• turbel