Definition

1. Verb:
   • To work or act as a baby-sitter: To temporarily care for a child or children in the absence of their parents, typically for payment.
   • To take watchful responsibility for something: To look after or monitor something, such as a house, pets, or plants, while the owner is away.

Usage Examples

• Verb (caring for children):

  • She agreed to baby-sit for her neighbors on Friday night.
  • I can't baby-sit tonight because I have an exam tomorrow.

• Verb (caring for things):

  • Could you baby-sit my cat while I'm on vacation?
  • He baby-sat the laboratory equipment over the weekend.

Advanced Usage

• "to baby-sit for someone": To provide childcare services for a specific person or family.
  • She regularly baby-sits for the family next door.

Variants and Related Words

• Baby-sitter (n): A person employed to care for children when the parents are not home.

  • We need to find a reliable baby-sitter for the evening.

• Baby-sitting (n): The activity or job of taking care of children as a baby-sitter.

  • She does baby-sitting to earn extra money.

Synonyms

• Look after: To take care of someone or something.
• Watch: To keep someone or something under observation for care or protection.
• Mind: To pay attention to and care for something temporarily.

Related Phrasal Verbs

(This word does not commonly form distinct phrasal verbs beyond the structure "baby-sit for [someone]".)

Related Idioms

(There are no common idioms specifically using the verb "baby-sit".)

Verb

1. work or act as a baby-sitter; I have too much homework to do"
   • I cannot baby-sit tonight
2. take watchful responsibility for
   • I baby-sit the neighbor's plants when she is out of town