Definitions
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A boy or man who carries a link or torch to light passengers in the streets of a city. Improved street-lighting has made the employment of linkboys generally unnecessary; but they are still required in London during the dense fogs frequently occurring there.
Wiktionary
- n. male servant or other attendant (regardless of age), employed to bear a torch or other light abroad at night
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. A boy or man that carried a link or torch to light passengers.
WordNet 3.0
- n. (formerly) an attendant hired to carry a torch for pedestrians in dark streets
Etymologies
- link (“torch, light”) + boy (“man, servant”) (Wiktionary)
Examples
“They could hire a linkboy to light their way through the dark alleys.”
“She guessed that he was a linkboy, hired by the middle-aged couple who walked at his side to light their way through the dark streets.”
“His reverie was interrupted by the linkboy knocking at the door of honest John Christie, whose wife came forth with “quips, and becks, and wreathed smiles,” to welcome her honoured guest on his return to his apartment.”
“All fell to praising of it, each after his own fashion, though the same young blade held with his former view that another than her conjugial had been the man in the gap, a clerk in orders, a linkboy (virtuous) or an itinerant vendor of articles needed in every household.”
“I want this book from the dark young man, the silent one," he whispered, and the linkboy hurried off.”
“He stepped into the corridor, handed the note to a passing linkboy, and ordered the child to the library.”
“I began to tell her about it, when, too soon, the linkboy stopped at her house.”
“Tall cressets lighted us down the steps, and each had his own linkboy to see him home.”
“I gave her my arm because the path was steep, and because of the linkboy.”
“As soon as we were alone, but for his linkboy walking ahead, I asked his news.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘linkboy’.
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Wrongheads
Insults that make me laugh. Some of these are re-contextualized because they sound like insults to me.
wretched, dasdardly, sniveling, dingbat, rankle, vapid, ninny, nincompoop, dolt, imbecile, fucktard, scoundrel and 173 more...
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At Your Service
Servants who are traditionally male. Inspired by hernesheir's maids list (as well as Downton Abbey)
footman, chasseur, hurkaru, chobdar, lackey, jeames, manservant, pantryman, groom, palefrenier, coistrel, ostler and 106 more...
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perhapsolutely's Words
polyradiculoneuro..., abulia, abubble, abscission, abaft, zareba, abatis, abigail, abiogenesis, ablate, ablaut, abo and 1705 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for linkboy.
bilby Now there's a job for sionnach. Sep 19, 2008