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beefeater

American  
[beef-ee-ter] / ˈbifˌi tər /

noun

  1. a yeoman of the English royal guard or a warder of the Tower of London.

  2. Informal. an Englishman.

  3. a person who eats beef.


beefeater British  
/ ˈbiːfˌiːtə /

noun

  1. a nickname often applied to the Yeomen of the Guard and the Yeomen Warders at the Tower of London

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of beefeater

First recorded in 1600–10; beef + eat ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Chief beefeater Peter McGowren says it's the quietest the tower ever has been.

From Fox News May 21, 2020

The tradition of tall tales spun by the yeoman warder, or beefeater, guides is as old as the Line of Kings itself.

From The Guardian Jul. 7, 2013

Yet, until six months ago, he has made little more impact on the Western world than a splendidly caparisoned beefeater, opening and closing the door through which more ambitious men approached the Soviet throne room.

From Time Magazine Archive

Then, with a sweep of his arm toward a tower crusted with raven droppings, the "beefeater" remarked: "And there are some of the results of Lend-Lease."

From Time Magazine Archive

A genuine beefeater he was, only he ate too much beef and the ale he drank was evidently Extra XXX.

From Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great - Volume 01 Little Journeys to the Homes of Good Men and Great by Elbert Hubbard

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