butlery en · NOUN
Etymology
From Middle English buttillary, buttlarye, botelerye, botelerie, from Old French boteillerie, butelerie and Medieval Latin butellaria.
Meanings
- (countable) A butler's pantry; a serving pantry.
-
(uncountable) The work or role of a butler.
The dark side of butlery was even more evident during the height of the Evil Empire, when the strongest and most enterprising local men were made into footmen and majordomos, completely robbed of their dignity but paid for a month's work what they might otherwise make in a year.
2007, Steven A. Grasse, The Evil Empire: 101 Ways That England Ruined the World, page 53:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| butleries | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| butlerie | alternative, archaic | lexicographic |