seneschal

[sen-uh-shuh l]

SEE MORE 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.

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)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for seneschal

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

Examples from the Web for seneschal

Historical Examples of seneschal

"He shall have four silver candlesticks," said the seneschal moodily.
The White Company
Arthur Conan Doyle
The castle is taken and on fire, the seneschal is slain, and there is nought left for us.
The White Company
Arthur Conan Doyle
"It is the Seneschal of Toulouse, with his following," said Johnston, shading his eyes with his hand.
The White Company
Arthur Conan Doyle
It was from the seneschal of the Palace that I first heard that tragic news.
The Shame of Motley
Raphael Sabatini
It was the face of Mariani, the seneschal of the Castle of Cessna.
The Shame of Motley
Raphael Sabatini

British Dictionary definitions for seneschal

seneschal

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

Word Origin and History for seneschal

late 14c., "steward, majordomo, officer in a royal household in charge of ceremonies and feasts," from Old French seneschal, title of a high administrative court officer, from Frankish Latin siniscalcus, from Proto-Germanic *sini-skalk "senior servant;" first element cognate with Latin senex "old" (see senile); second element from Proto-Germanic *skalkoz "servant" (cf. Gothic skalks, Old High German scalc, Old English scealc "servant;" see second element of marshal).