janitor

[ jan-i-ter ]

/ ˈdʒæn ɪ tər /

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noun

a person employed in an apartment house, office building, school, etc., to clean the public areas, remove garbage, and do minor repairs; caretaker.

Archaic. a doorkeeper or porter.

verb (used without object)

to be employed as a janitor.

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Origin of janitor

First recorded in 1575–85; from Latin jānitor “doorkeeper,” equivalent to jāni- (combining form of jānus “doorway, covered passage”) + -tor -tor

OTHER WORDS FROM janitor

jan·i·to·ri·al

[jan-i-tawr-ee-uhl], /ˌdʒæn ɪˈtɔr i əl/, adjectiveun·der·jan·i·tor, noun

Words nearby janitor

janiform, Janina, Janine, janissary, Janissary music, janitor, janitorial, janitress, Janjaweed, janky, Jan Mayen

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use janitor in a sentence

Relisha Rudd, then 8, was last seen with Kahlil Malik Tatum, a janitor at the shelter.
This D.C. baby’s mother was charged with her death. But nothing is solved.|Petula Dvorak|December 10, 2020|Washington Post
There were numerous instances, not just in high school but also in college, where he would throw his trash or leave his trash out and encourage others to do the same, saying, “This is what we have the janitors here to do.”
Stephen Miller, explained|Sean Illing|October 7, 2020|Vox
At Miller’s high school, there were a handful of janitors for this very large student population, and they were mostly people of color.
Stephen Miller, explained|Sean Illing|October 7, 2020|Vox
That led the late downtown Alderman Burton Natarus to describe himself as a ward janitor, while former council progressive Joe Moore called the body a Midwestern version of the Soviet politburo.
When Is a Meeting Not a Meeting and a Lawmaker Not a Lawmaker? When It’s Lori Lightfoot’s Chicago.|by Mick Dumke|September 24, 2020|ProPublica

MTS officers once violently arrested an Iraqi immigrant for trespassing at a trolley station, even though he was a janitor reporting for work.
Morning Report: MTS Says Its Officers Are Exempt from State Law|Voice of San Diego|June 26, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Everybody from Bill Gates to his janitor wants the economy to grow.
What Obama Can Learn From Elizabeth Warren|Michael Tomasky|December 17, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He admits to us that most of the time he is more of a janitor than a brewmaster.
Look Out! There’s a Craft-Beer Revolution Taking Over France|Jeff Campagna|December 2, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The Nightman Cometh An illiterate janitor writes a musical to woo a woman who has a restraining order against him.
Why ‘It’s Always Sunny’ Is Funny: An Examination of Scenes, Stripped of Context|Caitlin Dickson|November 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST
As a janitor working in a cleaning service, he claimed to have insider information.
The Mississippi Man Caught Mailing Ricin-Letters is an Elvis Impersonator|Justin Green|April 18, 2013|DAILY BEAST
AOC officials declined to discuss janitor compensation, but SAA officials were willing to share details.
The Administration's Thin Complaints About the Sequester|Megan McArdle|March 6, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The janitor should wash the clothes-racks with the acid bichloride solution every time he sweeps.
Essays In Pastoral Medicine|Austin Malley
As Genevieve hoped would be the case, the janitor had not finished his nightly duties.
The Sunbridge Girls at Six Star Ranch|Eleanor H. (Eleanor Hodgman) Porter
Say, the janitor service in this old ark is something I couldn't describe to a gentleman.
A Hoosier Chronicle|Meredith Nicholson
He says th' more he practises medicine th' more he becomes a janitor with a knowledge iv cookin'.
Mr. Dooley Says|Finley Dunne
"In most places like this, the office boy or the janitor does such work," said Harry.
From Farm to Fortune|Horatio Alger Jr.

British Dictionary definitions for janitor

janitor

/ (ˈdʒænɪtə) /

noun

Scot, US and Canadian the caretaker of a building, esp a school

mainly US and Canadian a person employed to clean and maintain a building, esp the public areas in a block of flats or office building; porter

Derived forms of janitor

janitorial (ˌdʒænɪˈtɔːrɪəl), adjectivejanitress, fem n

Word Origin for janitor

C17: from Latin: doorkeeper, from jānua door, entrance, from jānus covered way (compare Janus 1); related to Latin īre to go

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

janitor

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Origin of janitor

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How to use janitor in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for janitor

Derived forms of janitor

Word Origin for janitor