Banqueters

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A congregation of people who share a meal during a festive or ceremonial event, typically characterized by celebration and enjoyment
2. Individuals gathered to partake in a special meal often associated with celebration or ceremony
3. Guests assembled to eat together at an event marked by formality and festivity

Etymology: The plural "banqueters" is simply the regular plural of "banqueter," which means someone who attends a banquet. That noun is built from "banquet" plus the suffix "-er," the same ending found in words like "baker" or "singer" that names a person who performs an action or belongs to a group. "Banquet" itself came into English through French. It was borrowed from Middle French "banquet," which had grown out of the Italian "banchetto," a diminutive of "banco," meaning a bench or table. The Italian word therefore pictured a little table or bench where food was set out, and the notion of a feast took its shape from that piece of furniture. English took the word in the Middle Ages, and it arrived with the sense of a rich meal, which is the sense that still lingers in "banqueters."

Synonyms: diners, guests, attendees