Pageboy

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A young male servant or attendant who performs duties at formal occasions such as weddings or court events ; a hairstyle featuring straight hair cut to a uniform length around the head with bangs across the forehead
2. A boy who serves in a formal role, often carrying items or assisting participants in ceremonies ; a haircut that is evenly cut with straight edges and a fringe covering the forehead
3. A youthful male attendant commonly seen at special ceremonies or social events ; a style of hair shaped evenly around the head with a blunt fringe hanging over the forehead

Etymology: The word is a plain compound: "page" (a young male attendant, from Old French "page," a servant or boy) joined to "boy." The combination describes exactly what it names, a boy who serves at a formal occasion, and the hairstyle was named after the same figure. The page's hair was cut evenly around the head with a straight fringe across the forehead, so the haircut took the name of the young attendant who was often dressed and groomed this way. Because the second element is simply "boy," the word stays transparent: anyone who knows the two parts can see the whole picture. The attendant sense is the older one, and the haircut sense grew out of it by association with the look of the boys themselves.

Synonyms: assistant, attendant, servant