nanny

¹ American  

[nan-ee] / ˈnæn i /

noun

plural

nannies

1. a person, usually with special training, employed to care for children in a household.

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Nanny ² American  

[nan-ee] / ˈnæn i /

noun

1. a female given name.

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nanny British  

/ ˈnænɪ /

noun

1. a nurse or nursemaid for children

2. 1. any person or thing regarded as treating people like children, esp by being patronizing or overprotective

   2. ( as modifier )

      the nanny state

3. a child's word for grandmother

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verb

1. (intr) to nurse or look after someone else's children

2. (tr) to be overprotective towards

Etymology

Origin of nanny

1785–95; nursery word; compare Welsh nain grandmother, Greek nánna aunt, Russian nyánya nursemaid

Example Sentences

A distant mother, she relied heavily on nannies but insisted girls should be educated at home.

From The Wall Street Journal

He has a point, but her mom or nanny or whoever is scrolling on her phone, not chiming in.

From Literature

"If Singapore is a nanny state, then I'm proud to have fostered one," Lee Kuan Yew famously wrote in one of his books.

From BBC

In reality, aside from Zamora, only three others were listed on the company’s payroll: his now ex-wife, her brother and the couple’s nanny.

From The Wall Street Journal

In fact only Zamora Yrala himself, his then wife, her brother and the family's nanny were ever on the payroll, the court heard.

From BBC

Related Words

• au pair
• governess