Servant

Servant
Servant Serv"ant, n. [OE. servant, servaunt, F. servant, a & p. pr. of servir to serve, L. servire. See {Serve}, and cf. {Sergeant}.] 1. One who serves, or does services, voluntarily or on compulsion; a person who is employed by another for menial offices, or for other labor, and is subject to his command; a person who labors or exerts himself for the benefit of another, his master or employer; a subordinate helper. ``A yearly hired servant.'' --Lev. xxv. 53. [1913 Webster]

Men in office have begun to think themselves mere agents and servants of the appointing power, and not agents of the government or the country. --D. Webster. [1913 Webster]

Note: In a legal sense, stewards, factors, bailiffs, and other agents, are servants for the time they are employed in such character, as they act in subordination to others. So any person may be legally the servant of another, in whose business, and under whose order, direction, and control, he is acting for the time being. --Chitty. [1913 Webster]

2. One in a state of subjection or bondage. [1913 Webster]

Thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt. --Deut. v. 15. [1913 Webster]

3. A professed lover or suitor; a gallant. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

In my time a servant was I one. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]

{Servant of servants}, one debased to the lowest condition of servitude.

{Your humble servant}, or {Your obedient servant}, phrases of civility formerly often used in closing a letter, now archaic; -- at one time such phrases were exaggerated to include {Your most humble, most obedient servant}. [1913 Webster +PJC]

Our betters tell us they are our humble servants, but understand us to be their slaves. --Swift. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • servant — [ sɛrvɑ̃ ] adj. m. et n. m. • v. 1120; de servir 1 ♦ Vx (sauf en loc.) Relig. Frères servants : frères convers employés aux modestes besognes. Cavalier, chevalier servant. ♢ Dr. Assujetti à une servitude. Fonds servant (opposé à dominant) . 2 ♦ N …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • servant — ser·vant n: a person who serves others: as a: an individual who performs duties about the person or home of a master or personal employer b: a person in the employ and subject to the direction or control of an individual or company see also… …   Law dictionary

  • servant — SERVÁNT, servanţi, s.m. 1. Soldat care deserveşte o gură de foc sau un alt mijloc de luptă. 2. (Rar) Om de serviciu cu atribuţii speciale în anumite instituţii. – Din fr. servant. Trimis de claudia, 13.09.2007. Sursa: DEX 98  servánt s. m., pl.… …   Dicționar Român

  • Servant — oder The Servant ist der Name von: einer französischen Gemeinde im Département Puy de Dôme, siehe Servant (Puy de Dôme) einer Rebsorte, siehe Servant (Rebsorte) eines Films von Joseph Losey aus dem Jahre 1968, siehe The Servant (Film). einer Band …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • servant — Servant. adj. m. Il n est guere en usage qu en ces phrases lorsque l on parle de l Ordre de Malthe. Gentilhomme servant. frere servant. Chevalier servant …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • servant — early 13c., from O.Fr., noun use of servant serving, waiting, prp. of servir to attend, wait upon (see SERVE (Cf. serve)). Meaning professed lover, one devoted to the service of a lady is from mid 14c. In N.American colonies and U.S., the usual… …   Etymology dictionary

  • servant — [sʉr′vənt] n. [ME < OFr < prp. of servir < L servire, to SERVE] 1. a person employed to perform services, esp. household duties, for another 2. a person employed by a government: cf. PUBLIC SERVANT, CIVIL SERVANT 3. a person devoted to… …   English World dictionary

  • Servant — País …   Wikipedia Español

  • Servant — Fréquent en Poitou Charentes, correspond normalement à l ancien français servant (= serviteur). On peut cependant penser parfois à un prénom, variante de Servan (voir ce nom). Il en est de même avec la forme Servans (15) …   Noms de famille

  • servant — ► NOUN 1) a person employed to perform domestic duties in a household or as a personal attendant. 2) a person regarded as providing support or service for an organization or person: a government servant. ORIGIN Old French, person serving , from… …   English terms dictionary

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