croupier
UK[ˈkruːpɪeɪ]US[ˈkruːpiər]
n
an employee of a casino who collects and pays bets at a gaming table.
Etymology
The word 'croupier' entered English in the early 18th century directly from French. Its journey begins with the Old French word 'croupe', meaning the rump or hindquarters of a horse, itself derived from a Germanic source. In French, a 'croupier' was originally a person who rode behind the main rider on the croup of a horse. This sense of a secondary assistant was then applied to the assistant at a gaming table who watched over the stakes. The term was fully specialized in English to refer specifically to the casino employee in charge of a gaming table, managing bets and operating the roulette wheel or dealing cards, thus completing its evolution from a literal horseback position to a figure of authority in gambling.
Analysis
The word is a loanword from French, adopted as a single lexical unit. Its French origin is 'croupier', meaning one who rides on the croup (rump) of a horse, later a person who assists the main player, and finally its specific casino sense.
Examples
The croupier expertly spun the roulette wheel and announced, "No more bets."
He aspired to be a professional croupier, mastering the art of dealing cards and handling chips.
The croupier calmly collected the losing bets and paid out the winnings to the lucky player.