Pot boy

Pronunciation varies by accent · noun

Meaning

A boy employed in a plant nursery to tap clay pots with a stick for their ringing sound, indicating whether the plant required watering..

Definitions by Sense

1. A boy employed in a plant nursery to tap clay pots with a stick for their ringing sound, indicating whether the plant required watering.
2. A boy employed as waiter to serve (pots of) drinks, as in a tavern.
3. (British) A boy or man employed in a public house to collect empty pots or glasses.

Example Sentences

GC&HTJ 1985 volume 198 page 17

I put on my kitchen potboy disguise and rode down to B-1 in an elevator that smelled like chicken soup, barbecue sauce, and Jack Daniel's.

(“Hoo-roa,” ejaculates a pot-boy in a parenthesis, “put the kye-bosh on her, Mary.”)

Synonyms for pot boy

Antonyms for pot boy

Related Words

Word Forms

• potboys
• pot boy
• pot-boy

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

Practice and Learn More

Frequently Asked Questions