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attendant

attendant

136 2.8
A person who serves or helps people in a public place
  • noun
  • /əˈtɛndənt/
translation icon : auxiliar
  • Please hand your bags to the attendant.
  • flight attendant
  • home attendant
  • care attendant

The access to a midwife, skilled birth attendant isn't there.

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Examples

  • Our wonderful flight attendants are doing one last round of refreshments, and make sure you enjoy the tail end of this flight.

  • Through the public-address system, one of the flight attendants was instructing them on emergency procedures.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • We had the greatest flight attendant ever, right, on the flight from from LA to London.

  • I'll be your flight attendant.

  • Do not remove it unless directed by a flight attendant.

  • So she's a flight attendant and a mother of five.

  • Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Joanna McCauley and I'm your chief flight attendant.

  • Oh, and the flight attendants are again, New Zealand Air flight attendants are just stellar.

  • The attendant at the concert helped us find our seats.

  • I asked the attendant for assistance with my luggage at the airport.

Synonyms

waitress
vsattendant
350 1.0

A woman who serves food and drinks at tables in a restaurant or cafe

is gender neutral general role serving customers and guests in public places
waiter
vsattendant
300 1.0

A person who serves food and drinks to people in a restaurant or cafe

applies more widely to serving or assisting in varied public places
clerk
vsattendant
  • US
110 1.1

A person who helps customers and handles sales at a shop

is broader focusing on serving guests and customers at public events and places
receptionist
vsattendant
86 2.6

A person who greets visitors, answers the phone, and gives information at an office or hotel

is focused on serving customers and guests in varied public situations
flight attendant
vsattendant
83 3.2

A person who looks after passengers on an airplane and keeps them safe and comfortable

is a broader public serving role not limited to travel settings
porter
vsattendant
71 2.3

A person who carries suitcases and bags at hotels or stations

is a broader customer service role not focused on luggage handling
stewardess
vsattendant
  • Archaic
62 4.6

A woman who works on an airplane and looks after passengers

is gender neutral general service role for customers and guests
server
vsattendant
60 2.0

A person who brings food and drinks to customers at their table

covers serving and assisting in different public settings beyond dining
concierge
vsattendant
38 6.3

A person at a hotel or apartment building who helps guests with mail, luggage, and bookings

is a wider public service role not limited to guest desk tasks
orderly
vsattendant
15 4.5

A hospital worker who helps with tasks like moving patients and cleaning

is a public serving role for guests and customers rather than hospital tasks
steward
vsattendant
  • UK
13 3.8

A person who serves and looks after passengers on a ship or plane

is the general serving role for customers and guests in public settings
greeter
vsattendant
12 2.8

A person who welcomes guests or customers as they arrive

performs wider serving and assistance duties beyond initial greeting
hostess
vsattendant
  • Archaic
7 5.3

A woman who looks after passengers on an airplane

is gender neutral general service role for guests and customers
checker
vsattendant
  • US
4 4.9

A person who takes and looks after coats or bags for customers

is a broader service role beyond coat and baggage care
tender
vsattendant
4 5.1

A person who cares for animals or people

is specifically about serving and assisting customers and guests in public places
disher
vsattendant
4 9.5

A person who serves food or drinks quickly and neatly

is broader indicating general service without implying special skill
counterman
vsattendant
3 7.2

A person who serves customers at a counter, for example in a diner

is a general service role not limited to counter service
hotel clerk
vsattendant
2 2.0

A person at a hotel's front desk who greets guests and handles check-ins and check-outs

performs general serving and assistance across public places and events
busser
vsattendant
  • US
1 4.3

A person who clears plates and sets tables in a restaurant

performs broader guest assistance and serving duties beyond table work
usherette
vsattendant
  • Archaic
1 7.3

A woman who shows people to their seats in a theatre or cinema

is broader covering varied serving and assisting tasks in public places
servitor
vsattendant
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A person who helps important guests at formal events

is a general serving role across public places and events rather than ceremonial
hotel desk clerk
vsattendant
1 2.7

A person at the front desk of a hotel who helps guests

is broader covering many public serving and assisting roles
room clerk
vsattendant
  • US
1 3.4

A hotel worker at the front desk who gives rooms and keys to guests

is a broader serving role beyond administrative room tasks
hospital attendant
vsattendant
  • Specialized
1 3.7

A person who helps patients and keeps the hospital clean but does not give medical treatment

is a public service role focused on customers and guests rather than patients
body servant
vsattendant
1 9.4

A person who helps someone dress and bathe every day

is public facing serving customers and guests in public places and events
valet de chambre
vsattendant
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A man who cares for a person's clothes and personal needs in a house or court

is a public service role for customers and guests not private personal care
commissionaire
vsattendant
  • UK
1 8.2

A person in uniform who opens doors and helps guests at hotels or theatres

is general service role not limited to uniformed entrance work
dining-room attendant
vsattendant
3.5

A person who serves food and helps guests in a dining room

is broader covering serving or assisting customers and guests in many places
restaurant attendant
vsattendant
2.5

A person who serves guests and shows them to their table in a restaurant

is a general term for serving or assisting customers and guests
drinks waiter
vsattendant
  • UK
2.3

A person who brings drinks to guests in a bar or at an event

is broader covering many guest service tasks beyond beverages
wine waiter
vsattendant
3.9

A person who serves and recommends wine to restaurant customers

is a general serving role not limited to wine service
waiter's assistant
vsattendant
3.0

A person who helps waiters by setting tables, serving customers and clearing dishes

is the main service role for guests and customers broadly
counterperson
vsattendant
4.6

A person who serves customers from behind a counter in a diner or shop

extends to serving and assisting across many public places and events
seater
vsattendant
4.8

A person who shows people to their seats at events

is broader covering various serving and assisting duties at public events
trolley dolly
vsattendant
  • Offensive
9.8

An informal word for a person who serves food and drinks on a plane

is the standard general word for serving or assisting guests
air host
vsattendant
  • Archaic
4.2

A man who helps passengers on a plane and keeps them safe and comfortable

is the general public service role across many public places and events
baggage attendant
vsattendant
3.1

A person who moves and looks after passengers' luggage at an airport or train station

performs general guest or customer service, not specialized luggage tasks
servingman
vsattendant
  • Archaic
9.9

A man who works in a home to serve and help people

is modern general public service role rather than private household service
assister
vsattendant
3.0

A person who helps another with a task or need

is specific to serving customers and guests in public places and events
attender
vsattendant
5.3

A person who helps and looks after someone with daily needs

focuses on serving customers and guests mainly in public places and events

Compounds

A person who looks after passengers on an airplane and keeps them safe and comfortable

hospital attendant
  • Specialized
1 3.7

A person who helps patients and keeps the hospital clean but does not give medical treatment

A person who serves food and helps guests in a dining room

A person who moves and looks after passengers' luggage at an airport or train station

A person who serves guests and shows them to their table in a restaurant

How Responsible

warden
  • US
248 4.3
custodian
40 3.8
caretaker
60 1.9
keeper
106 2.5
attendant
136 2.8
helper
79 1.0

Surface Forms

attendant singular
attendants plural

Morphology

attendant = attend (semi-transparent) = attend + ant

Derived from 'attend' + '-ant' in the sense 'to attend to' (to serve or look after); learners who only know 'attend' as 'be present' may not immediately infer the service/serving-job sense.

Etymology

Attendant also comes from attend in the sense 'to look after' or 'to help', and you can see this idea in attention. So a parking or hotel attendant is someone whose job is to help or care for customers.