A chamberlain is the person who is in charge of the household affairs of a king, queen, or person of high social rank.
chamberlain in British English
(ˈtʃeɪmbəlɪn)
noun
1.
an officer who manages the household of a king
2.
the steward of a nobleman or landowner
3.
the treasurer of a municipal corporation
Derived forms
chamberlainship (ˈchamberlainˌship)
noun
Word origin
C13: from Old French chamberlayn, of Frankish origin; related to Old High German chamarling chamberlain, Latin camerachamber
Chamberlain in British English
(ˈtʃeɪmbəlɪn)
noun
1.
Sir (Joseph) Austen. 1863–1937, British Conservative statesman; foreign secretary (1924–29); awarded a Nobel peace prize for his negotiation of the Locarno Pact (1925)
2.
his father, Joseph. 1836–1914, British statesman; originally a Liberal, he resigned in 1886 over Home Rule for Ireland and became leader of the Liberal Unionists; a leading advocate of preferential trading agreements with members of the British Empire
3.
his son, (Arthur) Neville. 1869–1940, British Conservative statesman; prime minister (1937–40): pursued a policy of appeasement towards Germany; following the German invasion of Poland, he declared war on Germany on Sept 3, 1939
4.
Owen. 1920–2006, US physicist, who discovered the antiproton. Nobel prize for physics jointly with Emilio Segré 1959
Chamberlain in American English
(ˈtʃeɪmbərlɪn)
1.
Sir (Joseph) Austen1863-1937; Brit. statesman
2.
Joseph1836-1914; Brit. statesman: father of Austen & Neville
3.
(Arthur) Neville1869-1940; Brit. statesman; prime minister (1937-40): signed Munich Pact
chamberlain in American English
(ˈtʃeɪmbərlɪn)
noun
1. Obsolete
the bedchamber attendant of a ruler or lord
2.
an officer in charge of the household of a ruler or lord; steward
3.
a high official in certain royal courts
4. British
a treasurer, as of a municipality
5. Roman CatholicChurch
any of several high officials, as an honorary attendant on the pope
Word origin
ME chaumberlein < OFr chamberlenc < OHG chamarlinc < chamara, kamara (< L camera) + dim. suffix -linc: see camera + -ling1
Examples of 'chamberlain' in a sentence
chamberlain
Rhodry turned to go, but the gwerbret himself made the point moot by coming in, trailed by the equerry and the chamberlain.
Kerr, Katharine A TIME OF WAR (2004)
His brother's lands lay to the east, the chamberlain had told her.