Your humble servant

Your humble servant
Servant Serv"ant, n. [OE. servant, servaunt, F. servant, a & p. pr. of servir to serve, L. servire. See {Serve}, and cf. {Sergeant}.] 1. One who serves, or does services, voluntarily or on compulsion; a person who is employed by another for menial offices, or for other labor, and is subject to his command; a person who labors or exerts himself for the benefit of another, his master or employer; a subordinate helper. ``A yearly hired servant.'' --Lev. xxv. 53. [1913 Webster]

Men in office have begun to think themselves mere agents and servants of the appointing power, and not agents of the government or the country. --D. Webster. [1913 Webster]

Note: In a legal sense, stewards, factors, bailiffs, and other agents, are servants for the time they are employed in such character, as they act in subordination to others. So any person may be legally the servant of another, in whose business, and under whose order, direction, and control, he is acting for the time being. --Chitty. [1913 Webster]

2. One in a state of subjection or bondage. [1913 Webster]

Thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt. --Deut. v. 15. [1913 Webster]

3. A professed lover or suitor; a gallant. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

In my time a servant was I one. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]

{Servant of servants}, one debased to the lowest condition of servitude.

{Your humble servant}, or {Your obedient servant}, phrases of civility formerly often used in closing a letter, now archaic; -- at one time such phrases were exaggerated to include {Your most humble, most obedient servant}. [1913 Webster +PJC]

Our betters tell us they are our humble servants, but understand us to be their slaves. --Swift. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • your humble servant — An old formula used in subscribing a letter • • • Main Entry: ↑humble * * * your humble servant phrase used at the end of a letter in the past by someone who was writing to a more important person Thesaurus: expressions used in letters and… …   Useful english dictionary

  • your humble servant — your loyal worker …   English contemporary dictionary

  • Your obedient servant — Servant Serv ant, n. [OE. servant, servaunt, F. servant, a & p. pr. of servir to serve, L. servire. See {Serve}, and cf. {Sergeant}.] 1. One who serves, or does services, voluntarily or on compulsion; a person who is employed by another for… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • your humble servant — used at the end of a letter in the past by someone who was writing to a more important person …   English dictionary

  • Your most humble most obedient servant — Servant Serv ant, n. [OE. servant, servaunt, F. servant, a & p. pr. of servir to serve, L. servire. See {Serve}, and cf. {Sergeant}.] 1. One who serves, or does services, voluntarily or on compulsion; a person who is employed by another for… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Servant — Serv ant, n. [OE. servant, servaunt, F. servant, a & p. pr. of servir to serve, L. servire. See {Serve}, and cf. {Sergeant}.] 1. One who serves, or does services, voluntarily or on compulsion; a person who is employed by another for menial… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Servant of servants — Servant Serv ant, n. [OE. servant, servaunt, F. servant, a & p. pr. of servir to serve, L. servire. See {Serve}, and cf. {Sergeant}.] 1. One who serves, or does services, voluntarily or on compulsion; a person who is employed by another for… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • humble — hum|ble1 [ˈhʌmbəl] adj [Date: 1200 1300; : Old French; Origin: Latin humilis low, humble , from humus earth ] 1.) not considering yourself or your ideas to be as important as other people s ≠ ↑proud →↑humility ▪ a modest and humble man 2.) having …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • humble — 1 adjective 1 having a low social class or position: humble background/origins etc: Lacocca rose from humble beginnings to become boss of Ford. | a humble country parson 2 not considering yourself or your ideas to be as important as other people… …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • humble — hum|ble1 [ hʌmbl ] adjective 1. ) not proud and not thinking you are better than other people: He was a genuinely humble man. a ) used about people s behavior: a humble apology 2. ) from a low social class: humble beginnings/origins/background:… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

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