babysitter

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A person who cares for one or more babies or children for a short period of time in place of their legal guardians.

   My neighbor is sometimes a babysitter for other mothers’ children.

2. 2
   noun

   A person who has to watch or attend to anything or anyone unnecessarily closely; a coddler or handholder.

   He said he did not want to be on tenterhooks worrying about us and having to act as a babysitter for grown men.

3. 3
   noun

   a person engaged to care for children when the parents are not home

Etymology

From baby + sitter.