merry-andrew

[ mer-ee-an-droo ]
See synonyms for merry-andrew on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a clown; buffoon.

Origin of merry-andrew

1
1665–75; merry + Andrew, generic use of the proper name

Words Nearby merry-andrew

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use merry-andrew in a sentence

  • The footmen in yellow were his tumblers and trumpeters, and those in blue his merry-andrew, his apothecary, and his spokesman.

  • My very breath was arrested when I saw the merry-andrew you made of yourself.

    A Very Naughty Girl | L. T. Meade
  • The very street-boys would hunt me through the market-place for a merry-andrew!

    Love and Intrigue | Friedrich Schiller
  • merry-andrew and the Spune slipped out of the house, followed by the stranger, who pretended to give them chase.

    The History of Burke and Hare | George Mac Gregor
  • The worthy fellow soon became the jester and merry-andrew of the boatswain's mess, where a berth had been kept for him.

British Dictionary definitions for merry-andrew

merry-andrew

noun
  1. a joker, clown, or buffoon

Origin of merry-andrew

1
C17: original reference of Andrew unexplained

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012