spear-carrier

noun

1
a
: a member of an opera chorus
b
: a bit actor in a play
2
: a person whose actions are of little significance or value in an event or organization

Examples of spear-carrier in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Simpson emerged as a spear-carrier for Social Security benefit cuts in 2010, when he was appointed the GOP co-chair of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, established by Barack Obama as a sop to conservative deficit hawks. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of spear-carrier was in 1953

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Cite this Entry

“Spear-carrier.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spear-carrier. Accessed 30 Mar. 2025.

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