courtier
/ˈkɔɹtiɚ/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.64 in modern English
10
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A person in attendance at a royal court.
noun
A person who flatters in order to seek favour.
Example Sentences
- "By the Lord, Horatio, this three years I have taken note of it, the age is grown so picked that the toe of the peasant comes so near the heel of the courtier he galls his kibe."
- "People shouted cheerfully and flinched, but the Prime Minister didn't flinch, she fortified her voice with a firm diapason as if rising to the challenge of a rowdy Chamber. Around her her courtiers started like pheasants."
- "The world’s richest person, not known for his humility, is still learning the cutthroat courtier politics of Donald Trump’s inner circle — and his ultimate influence remains an open question."
Etymology
From Middle English courteour, from Anglo-Norman corteour, Old French cortoiier, from cort (“court”). By surface analysis, court + -ier.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: courteour, corteour, cortoiier
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈkɔɹtiɚ/
- British English: /ˈkɔːtɪə/