lacchè

lackey, flunkey

noun lahk-KEH Rare

Origin: From French laquais, possibly from Spanish lacayo.

Usage Note

Lacchè retains the grave accent because it ends in a stressed vowel, and this accent makes the plural invariable — i lacchè (not lacchès or lacchei). It originally meant a liveried footman, but today is almost always derogatory: è solo il lacchè del capo ('he's just the boss's lackey'). The invariable plural is a useful marker for dictionaries.

Examples

"Quel politico si comporta come un lacchè del potere."

Natural Translation

That politician behaves like a lackey of power.

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