minstrel

noun

min·​strel ˈmin(t)-strəl 

plural minstrels

1

: one of a class of medieval musical entertainers

especially : a singer of verses to the accompaniment of a harp

wandering minstrels

2

a

: musician

b

: poet

3

a

: a member of a type of performance troupe caricaturing Black performers that originated in the U.S. in the early 19th century

Note: The acts of minstrels, who typically performed in blackface, featured exaggerated and inaccurate representations of Black people in songs, dances, and comic dialogue. The popularity of minstrel shows in their heyday played a significant role in promoting negative racial stereotypes. Professional minstrel shows had fallen out of favor and effectively disappeared by the mid-20th century.

b

: a performance by a troupe of minstrels : a minstrel show

Synonyms

• bard
• muse
• poet
• poetaster
• rhymester
• rimester
• versifier

Examples of minstrel in a Sentence

Edna St. Vincent Millay was unofficially the minstrel of Maine, as her poetry celebrates its coast and countryside.

Recent Examples on the Web

One in which a racially stereotypical minstrel image seemed to be depicted in their latest U.S. campaign. —Doug Melville, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024

His father, who died when Marshall was 10, occasionally sang in a minstrel act and Marshall’s sister, actor Joanne Dru, worked as a showgirl at the Copa Club. —Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2024

During the silent era and into the talkies, Blackness was showcased in minstrel acts, in blackface or under confining stereotypical depictions that were presented by actors like Bert Williams, Stepin Fetchit and Hattie McDaniel. —Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 11 Aug. 2024

The poet also elevated the ottava rima, a verse form that had been more commonly associated with popular minstrels. —Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English menestral, menstral, mynstral, borrowed from Anglo-French menestral, menestrel "servant, attendant, official, workman, musical entertainer," borrowed from Medieval Latin ministeriālis "servant, functionary in a lord's household, official," going back to Late Latin, "imperial official," noun derivative of ministeriālis "serving, performing a duty" — more at ministerial

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

minstrel

noun

min·​strel ˈmin(t)-strəl 

1

: a medieval musical entertainer

especially : a singer of verses accompanied by music

2

a

: musician

b

: poet

3

a

: one of a group of performers giving a program of Black American melodies and jokes usually with faces blackened with makeup

b

: a performance by a group of minstrels