noun
retainer; attendant to nobility
Historical term for a person who serves and accompanies a noble or high-ranking figure. Rare in modern Japanese; mostly encountered in historical or literary contexts.
彼は若い頃、貴族の陪侍として仕えていた。
In his youth, he served as a retainer to a nobleman.
The exact derivation is uncertain; the kanji 陪 (accompany) and 侍 (serve) suggest a compound meaning 'to attend and serve,' likely originating in classical Chinese and adopted into Japanese for historical court contexts.