seneschal

[ sen-uh-shuh l ]
/ ˈsɛn ə ʃəl /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR seneschal ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

an officer having full charge of domestic arrangements, ceremonies, the administration of justice, etc., in the household of a medieval prince or dignitary; steward.

QUIZZES

FOR POSTERITY’S SAKE, TAKE THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

Are words your bailiwick? Take the latest quiz on the words from July 6 to July 12 to find out.
Question 1 of 7
bailiwick
a creature, variously described as a serpent, lizard, or dragon, said to kill by its breath or look.
place or source of origin.
a person's area of skill, knowledge, authority, or work.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of seneschal

1350–1400; Middle English < Middle French < Frankish; compare Medieval Latin seniscalcus senior servant, cognate with Old High German senescalh (sene- old, senior + scalh servant)

Words nearby seneschal

senegalese, senegambia, senegambia confederation, senescence, senescent, seneschal, senghor, sengi, sengstaken-blakemore tube, senhor, senhora
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to seneschal

waiter, attendant, administrator, curator, foreman, proctor, guardian, bailiff, director, manager, agent, magistrate, officer, reeve, major-domo, purveyor, chamberlain, manciple

Example sentences from the Web for seneschal

British Dictionary definitions for seneschal

seneschal
/ (ˈsɛnɪʃəl) /

noun

a steward of the household of a medieval prince or nobleman who took charge of domestic arrangements, etc
British a cathedral official

Word Origin for seneschal

C14: from Old French, from Medieval Latin siniscalcus, of Germanic origin; related to Old High German senescalh oldest servant, from sene- old + scalh a 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