housefather

noun

house·​fa·​ther ˈhau̇s-ˌfä-t͟hər How to pronounce housefather (audio)
: a man in charge of a dormitory, hall, or hostel

Examples of housefather in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Dasani’s housefather, Jason McQuiddy, who walks up the hill to where the bus is parked. New York Times, 28 Sep. 2021 Soon café-society photographer Patrick McMullan emerged as the town house’s unofficial housefather. Bryan Burrough, The Hive, 4 July 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'housefather.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of housefather was in 1877

Dictionary Entries Near housefather

Cite this Entry

“Housefather.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/housefather. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

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