caretaker

[ kair-tey-ker ]
See synonyms for: caretakercaretaking on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a person who is in charge of the maintenance of a building, estate, etc.; superintendent.

  2. a person or group that temporarily performs the duties of an office.

  1. British. a janitor.

  2. a person who takes care of another.

adjective
  1. involving the temporary performance of the duties of an office: a caretaker government.

Origin of caretaker

1
First recorded in 1855–60; care + take + -er1

Other words from caretaker

  • caretaking, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use caretaker in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for caretaker

caretaker

/ (ˈkɛəˌteɪkə) /


noun
  1. a person who is in charge of a place or thing, esp in the owner's absence: the caretaker of a school

  2. (modifier) holding office temporarily; interim: a caretaker government

  1. social welfare a person who takes care of a vulnerable person, often a close relative: See also carer

Derived forms of caretaker

  • caretaking, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012