postilion

plural postilions · alternative postillion

1. A rider mounted on the near (left) leading horse who guides the team pulling a carriage.

   The postilion seized one of his fat horses by the tail, and swung himself up to his seat again.

   1839, [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow], “Mill-wheels and Other Wheels”, in Hyperion, a Romance. […], volume I, New York, N.Y.: Samuel Colman […], →OCLC, 2nd book, page 164

   5 more examples

   C’est un garcon de bonne fortune, said the landlord, pointing through the window to half a dozen wenches who had got round about La Fleur, and were most kindly taking their leave of him, as the postilion was leading out the horses.

   1768, Mr. Yorick [pseudonym; Laurence Sterne], “Montreuil”, in A Sentimental Journey through France and Italy, volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: […] T. Becket and P. A. De Hondt, […], →OCLC

   And now the carriage had fairly left the village; yet the postilions slackened their speed, and drew up gradually before a line of almshouses, […]

   1842, [Katherine] Thomson, chapter X, in Widows and Widowers. A Romance of Real Life., volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 227

   The rain drove into the bride and bridegroom's faces as they passed to the chariot. The postilions' favours draggled on their dripping jackets.

   1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 22, in Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLC

   To play the postilion is not an easy thing. It is a trade by itself—half a gunner's and half a groom's. It has to do with horses—that is bad enough ; but also it involves some knowledge of the road.

   1911, Hilaire Belloc, chapter 6, in The Girondin

   A very spirited affair it looked with its red body and yellow wheels, bouncing about on its high C springs [...] with its four horses going full stretch and two postilions in knee-cords and top-boots laying into the horses in a lather of dust and excitement.

   1936, Norman Lindsay, The Flyaway Highway, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 16

2. obsoleteA post-boy, a messenger boy, a swift letter carrier.