nanny

¹

[nan-ee]

noun

plural

nannies 

1. a person, usually with special training, employed to care for children in a household.

Nanny

²

[nan-ee]

noun

1. a female given name.

nanny

/ ˈnænɪ /

noun

1. a nurse or nursemaid for children

2. 1. any person or thing regarded as treating people like children, esp by being patronizing or overprotective

   2. ( as modifier )

      the nanny state

3. a child's word for grandmother

verb

1. (intr) to nurse or look after someone else's children

2. (tr) to be overprotective towards

Word History and Origins

Origin of nanny¹

1785–95; nursery word; compare Welsh nain grandmother, Greek nánna aunt, Russian nyánya nursemaid

Word History and Origins

Origin of nanny¹

C19: child's name for a nurse

Example Sentences

“Normally I finance blind and go into some debt” over the holidays, said Martin, who is working as a nanny while looking for a job.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Even the worst of the latter who don’t have it in them to be good parents have the resources to erect protections around their children—therapists, counselors, nannies, trainers of all sorts.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Hanging up octopuses to dry on a clothesline, he tells the Tanners’ nanny, “Like to f— get you and hang out on a line.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Before rescuing their son from his legal career they’d installed his old nanny on the Oppenheimer trading floor.

Read more on Literature

Melody Butiu has a few moving moments as the loyal nanny—who lives in the kids’ abandoned playhouse.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• au pair 
• governess