A minion can refer to different things depending on the context. Here are the different meanings of the word:
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Minion as a species: In the context of the animated movie franchise "Despicable Me," minions are small, yellow, capsule-shaped creatures with round gray goggles. They are depicted as being roughly one-third to one-half the height of humans, with one or two eyes, and their irises are almost always brown (except for Bob, who has one green and one brown eye). They have three fingers and toes per hand and foot, respectively. While shown as somewhat absent-minded and having very mischievous streaks, they also possess exceptional engineering abilities, being able to design and construct spaceships and playthings for Grus adopted daughters, particularly the youngest, Agnes. Minions are biologically wired to seek out and serve the most terrible of villains).
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Minion as a servile dependent: In general, a minion is a servile dependent, follower, or underling. It is a negative term implying that your only importance is from the person who orders you around. Corporate presidents may have minions to do their dirty work such as firing employees who have made a mistake. If a celebrity comes to town, minions will come ahead of time to make sure that everything is to the celebritys liking.
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Minion as a character: In the context of the "Despicable Me" franchise, minions are also characters with unique personalities and names. For example, the new movie centers on three minions — Kevin, Stuart, and Bob — who each become more distinct throughout the course of the film (or at least as distinct as gibberish-speaking henchmen can be) .
