From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishchamberlaincham‧ber‧lain /ˈtʃeɪmbəlɪn $ -bər-/ noun [countable] PGOHIGH POSITION OR RANKan important official who managed the house of a king or queen in the past
Examples from the Corpus
chamberlain• A chamberlain showed them to their seats just beneath the high table, which was dominated by a pearl-encrusted silver salt cellar.• The King and his Cardinal were preparing to leave and the courtyards were full of sumpter ponies, officials and chamberlains.• Both chamberlain and clerk accepted it without question when they were dismissed from attendance.• Pelham was elected chamberlain of Hull 30 September 1630 and sheriff of Hull in 1636, becoming alderman in 1641.• He was himself master forester of Rossendale, and Pilkington was his chamberlain.• Polydore Vergil later claimed that Edward's chamberlain lord Hastings raised a force for the king in Lancashire.• She saw the prince's chamberlain lean out and speak to his waiting page.• Bernard the chamberlain held his high office for only a few months, in 829-30.Origin chamberlain (1100-1200) Old French chamberlayn, from Old Saxon kamera, from Latin camera; → CHAMBER 