care-taker

The care-taker waters the plants in the living room.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person who takes care of a property: A "care-taker" is an individual employed to look after a building, house, or land, especially when the owner is absent.
   • A person who provides care for others: In a broader sense, a "care-taker" can refer to someone who looks after the needs of another person, such as a child, elderly relative, or someone with a disability.

Usage Examples

• (A person responsible for securing and maintaining the building.)
• (A person who provides daily care and support.)

Advanced Usage

• "care-taker government": A temporary government that manages affairs until a new government is formed.
  • After the election, a care-taker government was appointed to maintain stability. (An interim administration.)

Variants and Related Words

• Caretaker (n): a common alternative spelling (often written as one word).
  • The caretaker swept the floors every morning. (Same meaning as "care-taker".)

Synonyms

• Custodian: a person who has responsibility for looking after something.
• Guardian: a person who protects or cares for someone or something.
• Janitor: a person employed to clean and maintain a building.

Related Idioms

• (no common idioms directly using "care-taker")

Phrasal Verbs

• Take care of: to look after someone or something.
  • She took care of the garden while the owners were away. (She acted as a care-taker for the garden.)