Word of the Day

: November 23, 2006

majordomo

noun may-jer-DOH-moh

What It Means

1 : a head steward of a large household (as a palace)

2 : butler, steward

3 : a person who speaks, makes arrangements, or takes charge for another; broadly : the person who runs an enterprise

majordomo in Context

The journalist phoned the rock star's majordomo to request an interview.

Did You Know?

"Majordomo" has relatives in Spanish ("mayordomo") and Italian (the now obsolete "maiordomo"), and English speakers borrowed the term from one of these languages. All three words -- "majordomo," "mayordomo," and "maiordomo" -- ultimately come from the Medieval Latin "major domus," meaning "chief of the house." In its earliest uses, "majordomo" referred to the head steward of a royal household. The position was a high one with some relatively weighty responsibilities. Later, in the U.S., the word was used for the steward or overseer of a ranch. Since then, the word's meaning has extended even further; today, "majordomo" can designate any person who takes charge of another's affairs, be they business or personal.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.