Etymology First use appears c. 1490, from Middle French mignon (“lover, royal favourite, darling”), from Old French mignon (“dainty, pleasing, gentle, kind”), from Frankish *minnju (“love, friendship, affection, memory”), from Proto-Germanic *minjō (“affectionate thought, care”), from Proto-Indo-European *men- (“to think”). Doublet of mignon.
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A loyal servant of another, usually a more powerful being.
The archvillain deployed his minions to simultaneously rob every bank in the city.
In the past two years, NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope has located nearly 3,000 exoplanet candidates ranging from sub-Earth-sized minions to gas giants that dwarf our own Jupiter.2013 May-June, Kevin Heng, “Why Does Nature Form Exoplanets Easily?”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, page 184:
Obsolete A loved one; one highly esteemed and favoured.
God's disciple and his dearest minion1608, Josuah Sylvester, Du Bartas his divine weekes and workes:
Is this the Athenian minion whom the world / Voiced so regardfully?c. 1605–1608 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Tymon of Athens”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]:
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Obsolete An ancient form of ordnance with a calibre of about three inches.
Gun. My Cannons rung like Bells. Here's to my Mistress, The dainty sweet brass Minion: split their Fore-mast, She never fail'd.1647, Francis Beaumont, Philip Massinger, The Double Marriage (play), published 1717, page 19:
Of philosophers and scholars priscae sapientiae dictatores, I have already spoken in general terms, those superintendents of wit and learning, men above men, those refined men, minions of the muses.1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC:
Etymology First use appears c. 1490, from Middle French mignon (“lover, royal favourite, darling”), from Old French mignon (“dainty, pleasing, gentle, kind”), from Frankish *minnju (“love, friendship, affection, memory”), from Proto-Germanic *minjō (“affectionate thought, care”), from Proto-Indo-European *men- (“to think”). Doublet of mignon.
These favours, with the commodities that follow minion Courtiers, corrupt[…]his libertie, and dazle his judgement.1603, Michel de Montaigne, translated by John Florio, The Essayes […], book 1, P.148, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC: