sidekick
/ˈsaɪdkɪk/ noun
Forms sidekicks
- noun (informal) An assistant to another person, especially to a superior or more important person.
- noun (authorship, figuratively) In literature, theatre, etc., a good foil of the protagonist, a character who helps emphasize the traits of the main character.
Synonyms
acolyte deuteragonist pupil wingman buddy brother chum crony pal
Antonyms
Etymology
From side + kick, which in the late 19th and early 20th century was a slang term for the front side pocket of a pair of trousers, known as the pocket safest from theft. Thus, by analogy, a "side-kick" was a person's closest companion.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “sidekick”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details