famulus

[ fam-yuh-luhs ]

/ ˈfæm yə ləs /

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noun, plural fam·u·li

[fam-yuh-lahy]. /ˈfæm yəˌlaɪ/.

a servant or attendant, especially of a scholar or a magician.

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Origin of famulus

1830–40; <Latin: servant, slave; cf. family

Words nearby famulus

famish, famished, famous, famous last words, famously, famulus, fan, fana, Fanagalo, Fanakalo, fanatic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use famulus in a sentence

Famulus sped on before, or bounded after them, perpetually on the gallop.
The Child of Pleasure|Gabriele D'Annunzio
“Dr Lane wants you,” said the Famulus, just in time to save the tired boys from their remorseless questioners.
St. Winifred's|Frederic W. Farrar
Famulus means domestic slave, and familia is the aggregate number of slaves belonging to one man.
The Origin of the Family Private Property and the State|Frederick Engels
But, you see, all good spirits praise God; there in the avenue he comes himself, with his suspicious Famulus!'
The Prose Writings of Heinrich Heine|Heinrich Heine

Then he called his disciple Famulus to him and explained that he was going to test the formula.
Myths and Legends of All Nations|Various

British Dictionary definitions for famulus

famulus

/ (ˈfæmjʊləs) /

noun plural -li (-ˌlaɪ)

(formerly) the attendant of a sorcerer or scholar

Word Origin for famulus

C19: from Latin: servant

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