Nearby Words

gaffer

[gaf-er] Origin

gaf·fer

[gaf-er]
noun
1.
the chief electrician on a motion-picture or television production.
2.
Informal. an old man.
3.
British. a foreman or overseer, especially the boss of a group of physical laborers.
4.
Glassmaking. a master glassblower responsible for shaping glassware.

Origin:
1565–75; contraction of godfather
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Gaffer is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
Collins
World English Dictionary
gaffer (ˈɡæfə)
 
n
1.  Compare gammer an old man, esp one living in the country: often used affectionately or patronizingly
2.  informal chiefly (Brit) a boss, foreman, or owner of a factory, mine, etc
3.  the senior electrician on a television or film set
 
[C16: alteration of godfather]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

gaffer
1589, "elderly rustic," apparently a contraction of godfather; originally "old man," it was applied from 1841 to foremen and supervisors, which sense carried over 20c. to "electrician in charge of lighting on a film set."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary

gaffer definition

[ˈgæfɚ]
  1. n.
    an old man; a rustic old man. (From grandfather.) : Nobody out there but some old gaffer with a cane.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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