Hypertext Webster Gateway: "chamberlain"
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary (easton)
Chamberlain
a confidential servant of the king (Gen. 37:36; 39:1). In Rom.
16:23 mention is made of "Erastus the chamberlain." Here the
word denotes the treasurer of the city, or the quaestor, as the
Romans styled him. He is almost the only convert from the higher
ranks of whom mention is made (comp. Acts 17:34). Blastus,
Herod's "chamberlain" (Acts 12:20), was his personal attendant
or valet-de-chambre. The Hebrew word _saris_, thus translated in
Esther 1:10, 15; 2:3, 14, 21, etc., properly means an eunuch (as
in the marg.), as it is rendered in Isa. 39:7; 56:3.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Chamberlain \Cham"ber*lain\, n. [OF. chamberlain, chambrelencF.
chambellon, OHG. chamerling, chamarlinc, G. k["a]mmerling,
kammer chamber (fr. L. camera) + -ling. See {Chamber}, and
{-ling}.] [Formerly written {chamberlin}.]
1. An officer or servant who has charge of a chamber or
chambers.
2. An upper servant of an inn. [Obs.]
3. An officer having the direction and management of the
private chambers of a nobleman or monarch; hence, in
Europe, one of the high officers of a court.
4. A treasurer or receiver of public money; as, the
chamberlain of London, of North Wales, etc.
{The lord chamberlain of England}, an officer of the crown,
who waits upon the sovereign on the day of coronation, and
provides requisites for the palace of Westminster, and for
the House of Lords during the session of Parliament. Under
him are the gentleman of the black rod and other officers.
His office is distinct from that of the lord chamberlain
of the Household, whose functions relate to the royal
housekeeping.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
Chamberlain
n 1: British statesman who as Prime Minister pursued a policy of
appeasement toward fascist Germany (1869-1940) [syn: {Chamberlain},
{Neville Chamberlain}, {Arthur Neville Chamberlain}]
2: the treasurer of a municipal corporation
3: an officer who manages the household of a king or nobleman
Additional Hypertext Webster Gateway Lookup
Gateway by dict@stokkie.net
stock only wrote the gateway and does not have any control over the contents;
see the Webster Gateway FAQ,
and also the Back-end/database links and credits.