yeoman

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
yeoman /ˈjəʊmən/

▶noun (pl. yeomen)

• 1 historical a man holding a small landed estate; a freeholder.

  ■ a person qualified for jury duties, electoral rights, etc. by virtue of possessing free land.

• 2 historical a servant in a royal or noble household, ranking between a sergeant and a groom or a squire and a page.

• 3 historical a member of the yeomanry force.

• 4 (also yeoman of signals) (in the Royal and other Commonwealth navies) a petty officer concerned with signalling.

  ■ a petty officer in the US navy performing clerical duties on board ship.

– phrases
yeoman service efficient help.

– derivatives
yeomanly adjective.

– origin ME: prob. from young + man.