au pair

[ oh pair ]

noun

1. a person, usually a young foreign visitor, employed to take care of children, do housework, etc., in exchange for room and board:

   We sent the children to the beach with the au pair.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or employed under such an arrangement:

   an au pair girl.

au pair

/ əʊ ˈpɛə; o pɛr /

noun

1. 1. a young foreigner, usually a girl, who undertakes housework in exchange for board and lodging, esp in order to learn the language
   2. ( as modifier )

      an au pair girl

2. a young person who lives temporarily with a family abroad in exchange for a reciprocal arrangement with his or her own family

verb

1. intr to work as an au pair

adverb

1. as an au pair

   she worked au pair in Greece

Word History and Origins

Origin of au pair¹

First recorded in 1965–70; from French: literally, “equal, even,” referring to the equal exchange of work for room and board; au contraction of à le “at the” + pair “equal” (noun); à la, pair ¹( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of au pair¹

C20: from French: on an equal footing

Example Sentences

Sure, she was more expensive than an au pair, but, we congratulated ourselves, she spoke English and she knew what she was doing.

From The Daily Beast

Au pair—Robin, having maisonette larger than he requires (flower-pot), would like to find another to share it.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• caregiver
• governess
• housekeeper