overseer

[ oh-ver-see-er, -seer ]
See synonyms for: overseeroverseers on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a person who oversees; supervisor; manager: the overseer of a plantation.

Origin of overseer

1
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at oversee, -er1

Other words for overseer

Other words from overseer

  • sub·o·ver·se·er, noun

Words Nearby overseer

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use overseer in a sentence

  • He was the parish overseer for over 30 years, worked long hours in his garden, married a local girl and had three children.

  • The man flushes and averts his face, as he passes a group of visitors clustered about an overseer.

    Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist | Alexander Berkman
  • The Padre Jose, who is the chaplain, is also the overseer of the estate; a combination of offices that I find is usual here.

  • Hoping to terminate the thefts, Johnny complained to the overseer, though without accusing Jack.

    Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist | Alexander Berkman
  • My repeated requests for assistance have been ignored by the overseer, who improves every opportunity to insult and humiliate me.

    Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist | Alexander Berkman
  • I remember there was wailing among the plantation hands, and Gadman the overseer had to use his whip to keep 'em quiet.

    The Light That Lures | Percy Brebner

British Dictionary definitions for overseer

overseer

/ (ˈəʊvəˌsiːə) /


noun
  1. Also called (less commonly): overlooker a person who oversees others, esp workmen

  2. British history short for overseer of the poor; a minor official of a parish attached to the workhouse or poorhouse

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012