ˈcare-ˌtaker
Also caretaker.
[f. care n. + taker, f. take v.]
a. One who takes care of a thing, place, or person; one put in charge of anything.
| 1858 M. Porteous Souter Johnny 17 The souter's wife..was servant to Gilbert Brown..and..acted as nurse and care-taker to Agnes his daughter. 1859 W. G. Wills Life's Foreshad. II. xvii. 205 The caretaker of the house met them, hat in hand. 1869 Daily News 19 July, The votes of Parliament to the caretakers of the parks. |
b. esp. in Ireland, a person put in charge of a farm from which the tenant has been evicted.
| 1868 Times 24 June 12 (Irish Correspt.) Three companions assaulted the caretaker. 1887 Illust. Lond. News 29 Jan. 113 The evicted tenants were readmitted as caretakers. |
c. attrib., esp. designating a government, administration, etc., in office temporarily; = stop-gap 5.
| [1885 J. Chamberlain in Cobden Club Dinner, Special Rep. 11 It is only upon those terms that what will be known in history as the ‘Stop-gap’ Government can invite the toleration of its opponents... I see no reason why they should not remain as caretakers on the premises—(great laughter and cheering)—until the new tenants are ready in November for a prolonged..occupation.] 1945 Times 26 May 5/2 This is evidently not ‘a caretaker administration’, but a carefully balanced team. 1945 New Statesman 2 June 346/3 There are already plenty of signs that the advent of the ‘caretaker’ Government means a serious setback to reconstruction. 1946 News (Birmingham, Ala.) 13 Nov. 20/4 A stopgap or caretaker operation will be established to carry on at the state's biggest college. 1963 Ann. Reg. 1962 370 Far from being a ‘caretaker’ Pope,..he was proving one of the most popular Popes. |