From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Varlet \Var"let\, n. [OF. varlet, vaslet, vallet, servant, young
man, young noble, dim. of vassal. See {Vassal}, and cf.
{Valet}.]
[1913 Webster]
1. A servant, especially to a knight; an attendant; a valet;
a footman. [Obs.] --Spenser. Tusser.
[1913 Webster]
2. Hence, a low fellow; a scoundrel; a rascal; as, an
impudent varlet.
[1913 Webster]
What a brazen-faced varlet art thou ! --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
3. In a pack of playing cards, the court card now called the
{knave}, or {jack}. [Obs.]
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
varlet
n 1: a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel [syn: {rogue},
{knave}, {rascal}, {rapscallion}, {scalawag}, {scallywag},
{varlet}]
2: in medieval times a youth acting as a knight's attendant as
the first stage in training for knighthood [syn: {page},
{varlet}]
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