Callboy

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A young male engaged in providing companionship or entertainment services, often for events or personal functions
2. An individual hired to fulfill various social roles, usually involving companionship or performance at gatherings
3. A young man who is employed to provide company or accompany clients socially

Etymology: "Callboy" is a plain compound of "call" and "boy," and its sense comes from the older practice of summoning people to a place of work. Before it described a paid companion, a call boy was a boy employed to summon actors, stage crew or other workers when their turn came, running from one door to the next to fetch them. The job was about passing a summons along, and the "call" in the word refers to that act of calling someone to attend. The modern sense grew out of that errand. A boy who fetched people for their appointments could easily become a go-between for clients seeking companionship, and the term shifted from the messenger to the man supplying the service. The word is therefore a transparent compound whose meaning moved from a theatre or workplace servant to a male escort.

Synonyms: escort, prostitute