1. A member of the household guard or retinue of a medieval English king or nobleman; a professional warrior who served as a permanent armed attendant.
Usage: historical; chiefly British; also spelled houscarl

Examples

• The king's housecarls formed an elite fighting force that protected the royal court.
• Housecarls were professional soldiers, unlike the feudal levies raised for occasional campaigns.
• William the Conqueror faced fierce resistance from the Saxon housecarls at Hastings.
• A nobleman would maintain a band of housecarls to defend his lands and enforce his authority.
• The housecarls were distinguished by their loyalty and their superior training in combat.