Cupbearer
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 One who ceremonially fills and hands out the cups in which a drink is served. historical
"[W]hile the King [Edward the Confessor] and Godwine [Godwin, Earl of Wessex] ſate at the table, accompanied with others of the nobilitie, it chanced the Cupbearer (as he brought wine to the bourd) to ſlip with the one foote, and yet by good ſtrength of his other leg, to recouer himſelfe without falling: [...]"
- 2 the attendant (usually an officer of a nobleman's household) whose duty is to fill and serve cups of wine wordnet
Example
More examples"[W]hile the King [Edward the Confessor] and Godwine [Godwin, Earl of Wessex] ſate at the table, accompanied with others of the nobilitie, it chanced the Cupbearer (as he brought wine to the bourd) to ſlip with the one foote, and yet by good ſtrength of his other leg, to recouer himſelfe without falling: [...]"
Etymology
From cup + bearer; attested since 1483.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.