Varlet

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Varlet \Var"let\, n. [OF. varlet, vaslet, vallet, servant, young
     man, young noble, dim. of vassal. See {Vassal}, and cf.
     {Valet}.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. A servant, especially to a knight; an attendant; a valet;
        a footman. [Obs.] --Spenser. Tusser.


        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Hence, a low fellow; a scoundrel; a rascal; as, an
        impudent varlet.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              What a brazen-faced varlet art thou ! --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. In a pack of playing cards, the court card now called the
        {knave}, or {jack}. [Obs.]
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  varlet
       n 1: a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel [syn: {rogue}, {knave},
             {rascal}, {rapscallion}, {scalawag}, {scallywag}]
       2: in medieval times a youth acting as a knight's attendant as
          the first stage in training for knighthood [syn: {page}]