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gaffer

[gaf-er]
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR gaffer ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the chief electrician on a motion-picture or television production.
Informal. an old man.
British. a foreman or overseer, especially the boss of a group of physical laborers.
Glassmaking. a master glassblower responsible for shaping glassware.

RELATED WORDS

elder, ruler, founder, grandfather, originator, head, author, generator, sire, father, chief, master, architect, senior, ancestor, creator, maker, inventor, paterfamilias, graybeard

Nearby words

  1. gaff topsail,
  2. gaff-rigged,
  3. gaff-topsail,
  4. gaff-topsail catfish,
  5. gaffe,
  6. gaffer tape,
  7. gaffle,
  8. gaffney,
  9. gaffsail,
  10. gag

Origin of gaffer

First recorded in 1565–75; contraction of godfather
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for gaffer

British Dictionary definitions for gaffer

gaffer

noun

an old man, esp one living in the country: often used affectionately or patronizinglyCompare gammer
informal, mainly British a boss, foreman, or owner of a factory, mine, etc
the senior electrician on a television or film set

Word Origin for gaffer

C16: alteration of godfather
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
Word Origin and History for gaffer

gaffer

n.

1580s, "elderly rustic," apparently a contraction of godfather (cf. gammer); originally "old man," it was applied from 1841 to foremen and supervisors, which sense carried over 20c. to "electrician in charge of lighting on a film set."

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper