housefather

[ hous-fah-ther ]

noun

1. a man responsible for a group of young people, as students, living in a dormitory, hostel, etc.

housefather

/ ˈhaʊsˌfɑːðə /

noun

1. a man in charge of the welfare of a particular group of children in an institution such as a children's home or approved school

Derived Forms

• ˈhouseˌmother, noun:feminine

Word History and Origins

Origin of housefather¹

1545–55; house + father; compare Latin paterfamilias

Example Sentences

The law does not clearly mark off the right of the injured housefather from the right of the offended magistrate.

From Project Gutenberg

Go only to Father Balthazar, housefather, and see if he doth not call it a sending of a lamb among wolves.

From Project Gutenberg

“Nothing warm in the house,” said the housefather, a carpenter himself.

From Project Gutenberg

Blood relationship, family, and the rulership of the housefather are in this early period the base and centre of social order.

From Project Gutenberg