noun
- a boy or man who carried a torch to light the way for people walking at night in the streets
Usage: historical
Examples
- The wealthy merchant hired a linkboy to guide him through the dark London streets.
- Linkboys were common in 18th-century cities before street lighting was installed.
- The linkboy’s torch flickered in the wind as he led the way.
- Many linkboys were poor children who earned money by providing this service.
- The invention of gas street lamps made linkboys unnecessary.
- A linkboy waited outside the theater to escort patrons home.