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Webster 1913 Edition


Lackey

Lack′ey

,
Noun.
;
pl.
Lackeys
(#)
.
[F.
laquais
; cf. Sp. & Pg.
lacayo
; of uncertain origin; perh. of German origin, and akin to E.
lick
,
Verb.
]
An attending male servant; a footman; a servile follower.
Like a Christian footboy or a gentleman’s
lackey
.
Shakespeare
Lackey caterpillar
(Zool.)
,
the caterpillar, or larva, of any bombycid moth of the genus
Clisiocampa
; – so called from its party-colored markings. The common European species (
Clisiocampa neustria
) is striped with blue, yellow, and red, with a white line on the back. The American species (
Clisiocampa Americana
and
Clisiocampa sylvatica
) are commonly called
tent caterpillars
. See
Tent caterpillar
, under
Tent
.
Lackey moth
(Zool.)
,
the moth which produces the lackey caterpillar.

Lack′ey

,
Verb.
T.
To attend as a lackey; to wait upon.
A thousand liveried angels
lackey
her.
Milton.

Lack′ey

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Lackeyed
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Lackeying
.]
To act or serve as lackey; to pay servile attendance.

Webster 1828 Edition


Lackey

LACK'EY

,
Noun.
[L. lego, to send.]
An attending servant; a footboy or footman.

LACK'EY

,
Verb.
T.
To attend servilely.

LACK'EY

,
Verb.
I.
To act as footboy; to pay servile attendance.
Oft have I servants seen on horses ride, the free and noble lackey by their side.

Definition 2024


lackey

lackey

English

Alternative forms

Noun

lackey (plural lackeys)

  1. A footman, a liveried male servant.
  2. A fawning, servile follower; a lickspittle.

Derived terms

  • lackey caterpillar
  • lackey moth

Translations

Verb

lackey (third-person singular simple present lackeys, present participle lackeying, simple past and past participle lackeyed)

  1. (transitive) To attend, wait upon, serve obsequiously
    • Milton
      A thousand liveried angels lackey her.
  2. (intransitive, obsolete) To toady, play the flunky

References