noun
Archaic term for a low-ranking servant or attendant in historical contexts, performing tasks such as cleaning, running errands, or delivering messages. Not used in modern Japanese outside historical references.
江戸時代の役所では、使丁が書類を届けたり掃除をしたりしていた。
In government offices of the Edo period, servants (使丁) delivered documents and did cleaning.
The exact derivation is uncertain; the kanji 使 (use, employ) and 丁 (adult male, servant) suggest a compound meaning 'employed servant' or 'worker'.