flunky

also n., pl., -kies, also -keys.

1. A person of slavish or unquestioning obedience; a lackey.
2. One who does menial or trivial work; a drudge.
3. A liveried manservant.

[Scots, perhaps from FLANKER, an attendant at one's flank.]

flunkyism flun'ky·ism n.

WORD HISTORY   The word flunky has come into Standard English from Scots, in which the word meant "liveried manservant, footman," coming at least by the 19th century to be a term of contempt. The word is first recorded and defined in a work about Scots published in 1782. The definition states that a flunky is "literally a sidesman or attendant at your flank," which gives support to the suggestion that flunky is a derivative and alteration of flanker, "one who stands at a person's flank."

Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has 2 meanings:

Meaning #1: a male servant (especially a footman)
  Synonyms: lackey, flunky

Meaning #2: a person of unquestioning obedience
  Synonyms: flunky, stooge, yes-man, dweeb

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - lakaj

Nederlands (Dutch)
lakei, manusje-van-alles, ja-zegger, snob, parasiet

Français (French)
n. - laquais, (fig) larbin (péj)

Deutsch (German)
n. - Lakai

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - λακές, υπηρέτης με λιβρέα

Italiano (Italian)
valletto

Português (Portuguese)
n. - criado (m), bajulador (coloq.)

Русский (Russian)
ливрейный лакей, подхалим, низкопоклонник

Español (Spanish)
n. - lacayo, pelotillero

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - lakej (neds.), passopp

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
穿制服的仆役, 谄媚者

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 穿制服的僕役, 諂媚者

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 아첨꾼, 보조 일꾼

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 制服を着た使用人, 下働き, おべっか使い

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) خادم‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮משרת, מתרפס, עובד עבודת-כפיים‬

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