ATTENDANT

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does attendant mean? 

• ATTENDANT (noun)
  The noun ATTENDANT has 3 senses:

1. someone who waits on or tends to or attends to the needs of another

2. a person who is present and participates in a meeting

3. an event or situation that happens at the same time as or in connection with another

  Familiarity information: ATTENDANT used as a noun is uncommon.

• ATTENDANT (adjective)
  The adjective ATTENDANT has 2 senses:

1. being present (at a meeting or event, etc.)

2. occurring with or following as a consequence

  Familiarity information: ATTENDANT used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ATTENDANT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Someone who waits on or tends to or attends to the needs of another

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

attendant; attender; tender

Hypernyms ("attendant" is a kind of...):

assistant; help; helper; supporter (a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "attendant"):

loader (an attendant who loads guns for someone shooting game)

arouser; rouser; waker (someone who rouses others from sleep)

matron of honor (a married woman serving as the attendant to the bride at a wedding)

hospital attendant; orderly (a male hospital attendant who has general duties that do not involve the medical treatment of patients)

orderly (a soldier who serves as an attendant to a superior officer)

page; varlet (in medieval times a youth acting as a knight's attendant as the first stage in training for knighthood)

page (a youthful attendant at official functions or ceremonies such as legislative functions and weddings)

racker (an attendant who puts pool or billiard balls into a rack)

rocker (an attendant who rocks a child in a cradle)

second (the official attendant of a contestant in a duel or boxing match)

servitor (someone who performs the duties of an attendant for someone else)

squire (young nobleman attendant on a knight)

gallant; squire (a man who attends or escorts a woman)

flight attendant; steward (an attendant on an airplane)

litter-bearer; stretcher-bearer (one who helps carry a stretcher)

trainbearer (one who holds up the train of a gown or robe on a ceremonial occasion)

cupbearer (the attendant (usually an officer of a nobleman's household) whose duty is to fill and serve cups of wine)

companion (one paid to accompany or assist or live with another)

baggageman (an attendant who takes care of baggage)

batman (an orderly assigned to serve a British military officer)

bellboy; bellhop; bellman (someone employed as an errand boy and luggage carrier around hotels)

bridesmaid; maid of honor (an unmarried woman who attends the bride at a wedding)

caddie; golf caddie (an attendant who carries the golf clubs for a player)

checker (an attendant who checks coats or baggage)

courtier (an attendant at the court of a sovereign)

linkboy; linkman ((formerly) an attendant hired to carry a torch for pedestrians in dark streets)

equerry (a personal attendant of the British royal family)

escort (an attendant who is employed to accompany someone)

esquire ((Middle Ages) an attendant and shield bearer to a knight; a candidate for knighthood)

famulus (a close attendant (as to a scholar))

gillie (a young male attendant on a Scottish Highlander chief)

groomsman (a male attendant of the bridegroom at a wedding)

lifeguard; lifesaver (an attendant employed at a beach or pool to protect swimmers from accidents)

Derivation:

attend (work for or be a servant to)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A person who is present and participates in a meeting

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

attendant; attendee; attender; meeter

Context example:

the gathering satisfied both organizers and attendees

Hypernyms ("attendant" is a kind of...):

participant; player (someone who takes part in an activity)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "attendant"):

conventioneer (someone who attends a convention)

partygoer (someone who is attending a party)

symposiast (someone who participates in a symposium)

Derivation:

attend (be present at (meetings, church services, university), etc.)

attendant (being present (at a meeting or event, etc.))

Sense 3

Meaning:

An event or situation that happens at the same time as or in connection with another

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

accompaniment; attendant; co-occurrence; concomitant

Hypernyms ("attendant" is a kind of...):

happening; natural event; occurrence; occurrent (an event that happens)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "attendant"):

background (relatively unimportant or inconspicuous accompanying situation)

associate (any event that usually accompanies or is closely connected with another)

Derivation:

attendant (occurring with or following as a consequence)

• ATTENDANT (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Being present (at a meeting or event, etc.)

Context example:

attendant members of the congregation

Similar:

present (being or existing in a specified place)

Derivation:

attendance (the act of being present (at a meeting or event etc.))

attendance (the number of people that are present)

attendance (the frequency with which a person is present)

attendant (a person who is present and participates in a meeting)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Occurring with or following as a consequence

Synonyms:

accompanying; attendant; collateral; concomitant; consequent; ensuant; incidental; resultant; sequent

Context example:

collateral target damage from a bombing run

Similar:

subsequent (following in time or order)

Derivation:

attend (to accompany as a circumstance or follow as a result)

attendant (an event or situation that happens at the same time as or in connection with another)

 Context examples 

I called to the attendants to follow me, and ran after him, for I feared he was intent on some mischief.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

“Grand!” Johnson shouted in my ear, as we successfully came through the attendant deluge, and I knew he referred, not to Wolf Larsen’s seamanship, but to the performance of the Ghost herself.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

As I entered, a sallow Malay attendant had hurried up with a pipe for me and a supply of the drug, beckoning me to an empty berth.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

She arrived in safety at a town about twenty leagues from the cottage of De Lacey, when her attendant fell dangerously ill.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

He spent his day, as the manager described it to me, upon a lounge-chair on the veranda, with an attendant lady upon either side of him.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“I shall see justice,” cried Norbury, Sir Oliver's silent attendant.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

EXAMPLE(S): family member, roommate, guardian, nursing home attendant

(Associated Biologic Entity Type Code, NCI Thesaurus/BRIDG)

EXAMPLE(S): family member, roommate, nursing home attendant

(Associated Biologic Entity, NCI Thesaurus/BRIDG)

Presently she came back up the road again, her head haughtily in the air, not deigning to take any further notice of her silent attendant.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

There may be some door-keeper or attendant—

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)