coistrel
/ˈkʌstɹəl/
coistrel is the alternative form of custrel.
coistrel is the alternative form of coistril.
Meaning of custrel
Noun
custrel (plural custrels)
- A knight's attendant or man-at-arms; a knave.
Meaning of coistril
Noun
coistril (plural coistrils)
- An inferior groom or lad employed by an esquire to carry the knight's arms and other necessaries; a coistrel.
- A mean, paltry fellow; a coward.
- And he shall 'by his merriment as dear / As ever coistril bought so little sport: / Ne'er let this sword assist me when I need, / But rust and canker after I have sworn.c. 1592, William Shakespeare, Anonymous, Arden of Faversham, act 3, scene 2
Forms of coistrel
| plural | coistrels |
|---|
Origin of coistrel
From Old French coustillier (“soldier armed with a coustille (“double-edged sword”)”).
Questions about coistrel
- What is coistrel the alternative form of?
- Coistrel is the alternative form of custrel.
- How do you pronounce coistrel?
- Coistrel is pronounced /ˈkʌstɹəl/.
Words near coistrel in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: coistrel (page history and authors); custrel (page history and authors); coistril (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this entry: “coistrel.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/coistrel. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.