Definition of SENESCHAL

seneschal

Meanings

Plural: seneschals

Noun

  • the chief steward or butler of a great household
  • A steward, particularly (historical) one in charge of a medieval nobleman's estate.
  • An officer of the crown in late medieval and early modern France who served as a kind of governor and chief justice of the royal court in Normandy and Languedoc.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English seneschal (recorded in English since 1393), from Old French seneschal, from Medieval Latin siniscalcus, from Frankish *siniskalk, from Proto-Germanic *siniskalkaz, from Proto-Germanic *siniz (“senior”) + *skalkaz (“servant”); latter term as in marshal. As an officer of the French crown, via French sénéchal.

Synonyms

major-domo, steward

Scrabble Score: 14

seneschal is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
seneschal is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
seneschal is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 16

seneschal is a valid Words With Friends word