The word "employee" comes from the French word "employé" which is the past participle of the verb "employer" which means "to use" or "to employ." It was first used in English in the early 19th century to describe a person who is hired to work for an organization or an employer. It is derived from the prefix "em-" meaning "in" or "on" and "ployer" which means "to use" or "to employ". The noun "employee" refers to a person who is hired to work for an organization or an employer. It typically refers to someone who is hired to work on a full-time or part-time basis and is compensated with a salary or wages. It can also refer to the workers of a company or organization who are not the owner. It is commonly used in the business, labor and employment fields to refer to a person who is hired to work by an employer and receive a compensation in exchange.