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Glite Dictionary
beefeater

beefeater

2 9.9
A guard who wears a traditional uniform at the Tower of London
  • noun
  • /ˈbiːfˌiːtə/
  • UK
translation icon : beefeater
  • The valet is a big fat man in a red Beefeater costume.
  • Beefeater martini

Examples

  • The beefeater proudly wore his traditional uniform while guiding tourists through the historic site.

  • Yes, the world famous beefeaters are losing their jobs.

  • CUT TO: Yeomen of the Guard, Beefeaters, Henry VIII, Sir Walter Raleigh, a group of heavily disguised men who work their way systematically towards the stage.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • During the visit to the Tower of London, the beefeater shared fascinating stories about the history of the fortress.

  • As a beefeater, he was responsible for protecting the Crown Jewels and entertaining visitors.

Synonyms

yeoman
vsbeefeater
  • UK
1 9.9

A soldier who stands guard and takes part in British royal ceremonies

is chiefly attached to the Tower rather than travelling to royal events
Yeoman of the Guard
vsbeefeater
1 9.9

A guard who stands near the king or queen during ceremonies while wearing a Tudor uniform

is based at the Tower and serves as its specific ceremonial guard
gentleman-at-arms
vsbeefeater
  • UK
9.9

One of forty ceremonial guards who attend the king or queen at state events

is focused on guarding the Tower rather than attending state ceremonies

Surface Forms

beefeater singular
beefeaters plural

Morphology

beefeater = beef + eater (opaque) = beef + eat + er

Although historically analyzable as 'beef' + 'eater', the modern sense 'ceremonial guard' cannot be derived from those components by an average learner.

Etymology

Beefeater began as a nickname for a type of royal guard. One old story says these men were given extra beef from the king's table, so they were called 'beef eaters', and that's why today a beefeater means the famous ceremonial guard at the Tower of London.