chamberlain

cham·ber·lain
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UK/ˈt͡ʃeɪmbəlɪn/UK[ˈt͡ʃʰeɪ̯mbəlɪn]Canada, US/ˈt͡ʃeɪmbɚlɪn/Canada, US[ˈt͡ʃʰeɪ̯mbɚlɪn]

noun

A senior royal official in charge of superintending the arrangement of domestic affairs and often charged with receiving and paying out money kept in the royal chamber, especially in the United Kingdom and in Denmark.

“Neville Chamberlain, British Prime Minister at the outbreak of World War II.”

OriginMiddle English chamberlein ← Anglo-Norman chamberlenc ← Old French chamberlayn →
Less commonScrabble 20
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Meanings

chamberlain1

nounchamberlain (plural chamberlains)

plural chamberlains

  1. A senior royal official in charge of superintending the arrangement of domestic affairs and often charged with receiving and paying out money kept in the royal chamber, especially in the United Kingdom and in Denmark.
  2. A high officer of state, as currently with the papal camerlengo, but normally now a mainly honorary title.
  3. obsoleteAn upper servant of an inn.

Chamberlain2

proper nounChamberlain (plural Chamberlains)

plural Chamberlains · alternative Chamberlaine

  1. A surname.

    Neville Chamberlain, British Prime Minister at the outbreak of World War II.

    1 more example

    Shortly after Surrey high school student Hamed Nastoh (called a “faggot” by classmates) killed himself by jumping off a bridge, James Chamberlain wrote a letter to the editor of a small newspaper called the Peace Arch News.

    2000 June 28, Tom Yeung, “Using his death?”, in Xtra Magazine, archived from the original on 20 Apr 2024
  2. A unisex given name transferred from the surname.
proper nounChamberlain (uncountable)

alternative Chamberlaine

  1. uncountableA township in the Timiskaming District, Ontario, Canada.
  2. uncountableA village in the Rural Municipality of Sarnia No. 221, Saskatchewan, Canada.
  3. uncountableA city, the county seat of Brule County, South Dakota, United States.
  4. uncountableA village in Tacuarembó Department, Uruguay.

Origin

  1. Frankish*kamarling“chamberlain”
  2. Old Frenchchamberlayn
  3. Anglo-Normanchamberlenc
  4. Middle Englishchamberlein
  5. Englishchamberlain

From Middle English chamberlein, chaumberlein, chaumberleyn, from Anglo-Norman chamberlenc, Old French chamberlayn, chamberlenc (“chamberlain”), from Frankish *kamarling (“chamberlain”), equivalent to *kamer (“chamber”) + *-ling (“-ling”). Cognate with Old High German chamarling (“chamberlain”). Compare also Late Latin camerārius and comrade. More at chamber, -ling.

More words from Middle English, Anglo-Norman, Old French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek πρόκοιτος
  • πρόκοιτος (prókoitos)an officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign
Chinese Mandarin 侍從 /侍从, 管家
  • 侍從 /侍从 (shìcóng)an officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign
  • 管家 (guǎnjiā)an officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign
  • 內臣 /内臣 (nèichén)an officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign
Danish kammerherre
  • kammerherrean officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign
Dutch kamerheer
  • kamerheeran officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign
Esperanto ĉambelano
  • ĉambelanoan officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign
Finnish kamariherra, kamreeri
  • kamariherraan officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign
  • kamreerian officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign
  • kirstunvartijaan officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign
French chambellan
  • chambellanan officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign
German Kammerherr, Kämmerer
  • Kammerherran officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign
  • Kämmereran officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign
Greek τσαμπρελιάνος
  • τσαμπρελιάνος (tsampreliános)an officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign
Italian ciambellano, camerlengo
  • ciambellanoan officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign
  • camerlengoan officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign
Japanese チェンバレン, 侍従
  • チェンバレン (chenbaren)an officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign
  • 侍従 (jijū)an officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign
  • 侍従官 (jijūkan)an officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign
  • 城代 (jōdai)an officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign
Persian سرایسالار
  • سرایسالار (sarây-sâlâr)an officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign
Polish szambelan
  • szambelanan officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign
Portuguese camareiro
  • camareiroan officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign
Romanian șambelan
  • șambelanan officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign
Russian камерге́р
  • камерге́р (kamergér)an officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign
Scottish Gaelic seumarlan
  • seumarlanan officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign
Spanish chambelán
  • chambelánan officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign
Swedish kammarherre
  • kammarherrean officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign
Ukrainian камерге́р
  • камерге́р (kamerhér)an officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign
Cite this entry
APA

chamberlain. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chamberlain

MLA

“chamberlain.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chamberlain. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “chamberlain,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chamberlain.

Source: chamberlain on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.