Dictionary

majordomo en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˌmeɪ.d͡ʒɚˈdoʊ.moʊ/ (US)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˌmeɪ.d͡ʒəˈdəʊ.məʊ/ (UK)

Etymology

From Italian maggiordomo and Spanish mayordomo, from Late Latin maior domūs (“steward”), from Latin maior (“main, principal”) + genitive singular of domus (“household”).

Meanings

1. The head servant or official in a royal Spanish or Italian household; later, any head servant in a wealthy household in a foreign country; a leading servant or butler.
   • In return for ruling over the king's palace, serving as the monarch's alter ego in the domestic sphere, and bearing the burden of accountability, the majordomo was compensated amply. 2002, Marta VanLandingham, chapter 7, in Transforming the State: King, Court and Political Culture in the Realms of Aragon (1213-1387), →ISBN, page 164:
   • Pancho, the major-domo, came up to say that Colonel Morales was waiting below. Appleby bade him bring out cigars and wine, and rose from his seat when Morales came in. 1907 January, Harold Bindloss, chapter 22, in The Dust of Conflict, 1st Canadian edition, Toronto, Ont.: McLeod & Allen, →OCLC:
2. (US, qualifier:Southwest) A manager of a hacienda, ranch or estate.
   • She called upon a Missouri cousin named Edward Hardy Clark, who became the indispensable majordomo of the Hearst estate. 2006, Gray A. Brechin, chapter 5, in Imperial San Francisco: Urban Power, Earthly Ruin, →ISBN, page 212:
3. (US) Any overseer, organizer, person in command.
   • The United Nation's climate majordomo -- tasked with herding 192 nations toward a do-or-die deal by year's end -- does not have the power to impose an agreement on how to curb greenhouse gases and cope with its consequences. 2009 June 7, The Economic Times:

Forms

Synonyms

seneschal

Translations (40)

sh газда (manager of an estate; overseer of a farm) · de Aufseher (any overseer, organizer, person in command) · cmn 管家 (head servant) · fi päällikkö (any overseer, organizer, person in command) · fa خوانسالار (head servant) · sh надзорник (any overseer, organizer, person in command) · tr kahya (head servant) · de Verwalter (any overseer, organizer, person in command) · sh управник (any overseer, organizer, person in command) · de Gutsverwalter (manager of an estate; overseer of a farm) · fi hovimestari (head servant) · de Hausverwalter (head servant) · es mayordomo (head servant) · ro vătaf (head servant) · de Majordomus (head servant) · io majordomo (head servant) · sh управник имања (manager of an estate; overseer of a farm) · sh мајордом (head servant) · mk дворски управник (head servant) · cs majordomus (head servant) · ru домоправи́тель (head servant) · mk мајордо́мо (head servant) · ru мажордо́м (head servant) · de Hausverwalter (manager of an estate; overseer of a farm) · ru дворе́цкий (head servant) · ca majordom (head servant) · ur خانساماں (head servant) · bg иконом (head servant) · sh дворски управник (head servant) · fr majordome (head servant) · de Geschäftsführer (any overseer, organizer, person in command) · pt mordomo (head servant) · fi pehtori (manager of an estate; overseer of a farm) · fi kymppi (any overseer, organizer, person in command) · io domochefo (head servant) · it maggiordomo (head servant) · hy ծառայապետ (head servant) · de Haushälter (head servant) · pl majordomus (head servant) · de Hausmeier (head servant)