Word Of The Day

• retinue
• 
• \RET-uh-noo\

• DEFINITION

noun

: a group of retainers or attendants

• EXAMPLES

"The Handkerchief Prince was trailed by a retinue of 40 or so Japanese media members, complete with satellite trucks." — From an article by Anthony Rieber in Newsday, March 28, 2014

"Eight men made its retinue, and two of the eight were armed with rusty sabres—sure signs that they followed a person of distinction, for the common folk do not bear arms." — From Rudyard Kipling's 1901 novel Kim

• DID YOU KNOW?

"Retinue" derives via Middle English from the Anglo-French verb "retenir," meaning "to retain." Another word deriving from "retenir" is "retainer," which means, among other things, "one who serves a person of high position or rank." In the 14th century, that high person of rank was usually a noble or a royal of some kind, and "retinue" referred to that person's collection of servants and companions. Nowadays, the word is often used with a bit of exaggeration to refer to the assistants, guards, publicists, and other people who accompany an actor or other high-profile individual in public. You might also hear such a collection called a "suite" or "entourage," two other words derived from French.