minion
1490, from Middle French mignon, from Old French mignon, from frk *minnju, from Proto-Germanic *minþijō, *mindijō ("affectionate thought, care"), from Proto-Indo-European *men-. Pronunciation
  • IPA: /ˈmɪnjən/
Noun

minion

  1. A loyal servant of another, usually a more powerful being.
    Synonyms: disciple, follower, Thesaurus:loyal follower
    The archvillain deployed his minions to simultaneously rob every bank in the city.
  2. A sycophantic follower.
  3. (obsolete) A loved one; one highly esteemed and favoured.
    • God's disciple and his dearest minion
    • c. 1605–1608, William Shakespeare, “The Life of Tymon of Athens”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act 4, scene 3]:
      Is this the Athenian minion whom the world / Voiced so regardfully?
  4. (obsolete) An ancient form of ordnance with a calibre of about three inches.
  5. (uncountable, typography, printing) The size of type between nonpareil and brevier, standardized as 7-point.
  6. Obsolete form of minimum#English|minimum.
    • Of philosophers and scholars priscae sapientiae dictatores, I have already spoken in general terms, those superintendents of wit and learning, men above men, those refined men, minions of the muses.
Translations Translations Translations
  • French: mignone, mignonne
  • German: Kolonel, Colonel, Mignon
  • Spanish: miñona, glosilla
Adjective

minion

  1. (obsolete) Favoured, beloved; "pet".
    • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, John Florio, transl., The Essayes, […], book 1, p.148, printed at London: By Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], OCLC 946730821 ↗:
      These favours, with the commodities that follow minion Courtiers, corrupt […] his libertie, and dazle his judgement.



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