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a. An officer who manages the household of a sovereign or noble; a chief steward.
b. A high-ranking official in various royal courts.
2. An official who receives the rents and fees of a municipality; a treasurer.
3. Roman Catholic Church
a. A papal gentleman. No longer in use.
b. A camerlengo.
[Middle English chaumberlein, from Old French chamberlenc, from Frankish *kamerling : Late Latin camera, chamber; see chamber + Germanic *-linga-, one connected with; see -ling1.]
1. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) an officer who manages the household of a king
2. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) the steward of a nobleman or landowner
3. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) the treasurer of a municipal corporation
[C13: from Old French chamberlayn, of Frankish origin; related to Old High German chamarling chamberlain, Latin camera chamber]
1. (Biography) Sir (Joseph) Austen. 1863–1937, British Conservative statesman; foreign secretary (1924–29); awarded a Nobel peace prize for his negotiation of the Locarno Pact (1925)
2. (Biography) his father, Joseph. 1836–1914, British statesman; originally a Liberal, he resigned in 1886 over Home Rule for Ireland and became leader of the Liberal Unionists; a leading advocate of preferential trading agreements with members of the British Empire
3. (Biography) his son, (Arthur) Neville. 1869–1940, British Conservative statesman; prime minister (1937–40): pursued a policy of appeasement towards Germany; following the German invasion of Poland, he declared war on Germany on Sept 3, 1939
4. (Biography) Owen. 1920–2006, US physicist, who discovered the antiproton. Nobel prize for physics jointly with Emilio Segré 1959
cham•ber•lain(ˈtʃeɪm bər lɪn)
1. an official who manages the living quarters of a sovereign or member of the nobility.
2. the high steward or factor of a member of the nobility.
3. a high official of a royal court.
[1175–1225; Middle English < Old French, variant of chamberlenc < Frankish *kamerling=kamer (< Latin camera room; see chamber) + -ling -ling1]
Cham•ber•lain(ˈtʃeɪm bər lɪn)
1. (Arthur) Neville, 1869–1940, British prime minister 1937–40.
2. Sir (Joseph) Austen, 1863–1937, British statesman: Nobel peace prize 1925.
3. Wilt(on Norman) ( “Wilt the Stilt” ), 1936–99, U.S. basketball player.
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|Noun||1.||Chamberlain - British statesman who as Prime Minister pursued a policy of appeasement toward fascist Germany (1869-1940)|
|2.||chamberlain - the treasurer of a municipal corporation|
|3.||chamberlain - an officer who manages the household of a king or nobleman|
steward - someone who manages property or other affairs for someone else