1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Scullery

SCULLERY, a back-kitchen, the place where dishes, plates, kettles, &c., are washed and cleaned, and the rough work connected with the domestic service of a house is performed. The Med. Lat. scutellarius, keeper of dishes and plates (scutella), became in O. Fr. escueillier or sculier, whence in English sculler, squiler, &c. A “sergeaunt-squylloure” is found amongst the officials of the royal household; and the Promptorium parvulorum, dating about 1400, glosses lixa, a sutler or camp-cook, by “squyllare, dysche-wescheare.” “Scullion,” a kitchen-wench, has been naturally connected with scullery, but is derived from O. Fr. escouillon, dish-cloth, cf. Span. escobillon, spring for a gun, ultimately from Lat. scopa, birch tree, scopae, broom of birch twigs.