steward

American  

[stoo-erd, styoo-] / ˈstu ərd, ˈstyu- /

noun

1. a person who manages another's property or financial affairs; one who administers anything as the agent of another or others.

2. a person who has charge of the household of another, buying or obtaining food, directing the servants, etc.

3. an employee who has charge of the table, wine, servants, etc., in a club, restaurant, or the like.

4. a person who attends to the domestic concerns of persons on board a vessel, as in overseeing maids and waiters.

5. an employee on a ship, train, or bus who waits on and is responsible for the comfort of passengers, takes orders for or distributes food, etc.

6. a flight attendant.

7. a person appointed by an organization or group to supervise the affairs of that group at certain functions.

8. U.S. Navy. a petty officer in charge of officer's quarters and mess.

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verb (used with object)

1. to act as steward of; manage.

verb (used without object)

1. to act or serve as steward.

steward British  

/ ˈstjʊəd /

noun

1. a person who administers the property, house, finances, etc, of another

2. a person who manages the eating arrangements, staff, or service at a club, hotel, etc

3. a person who attends to passengers on an aircraft, ship or train

4. a mess attendant in a naval mess afloat or ashore

5. a person who helps to supervise some event or proceedings in an official capacity

6. short for shop steward

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verb

1. to act or serve as a steward (of something)

Other Word Forms

• stewardship noun
• understeward noun

Etymology

Origin of steward

before 900; Middle English; Old English stīweard, stigweard, equivalent to stig- (sense uncertain; probably “house, hall”; sty ¹ ) + weard ward ( def. )

Example Sentences

On Saturday afternoon the wall of police and stewards holding the line between furious fans and the front door of Celtic Park was alarming.

From BBC

“The mad man believed he was on the way ‘to the pub to meet his mates,’” recalls another survivor of the Induna, Jimmy Campbell, who was a 15-year-old steward’s boy when the ship went down.

From The Wall Street Journal

She came back to speak at a fundraiser for Sanctuary Forest, a nonprofit land conservation group that is now the steward of Luna.

From Los Angeles Times

That doesn’t mean Abel won’t be a good steward for Berkshire shareholders, he added.

From The Wall Street Journal

Lenders often have a special status as stewards of deposits, often with unique ties to customers, shareholders and the government.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• flight attendant
• hostess
• stewardess
• waiter
• waitress