house sitter
1
2.8
- noun
- /ˈhaʊs ˈsɪtər/
:
cuidador de casa
- Choosing a responsible house sitter is important to ensure that the home remains safe and secure while you're away.
Examples
-
"I spoke to your house sitter?"
Fiction book (1998) -
If I’m ever going to get Schrödinger to answer my question, I guess I’ll have to be his house-sitter after all.
Fiction book (2001) -
"I couldn't get a house sitter."
Fiction book (1992) -
But I can also claim employment as a night watchman, parking lot attendant, and house sitter.
Fiction book (2001) -
We've had great conversations, and she seemed interested in how well I take care of the dog and that I'm a good house-sitter.
Blog text (18) -
The silhouettes in the door, I thought, looked familiar; it was probably Jenny with Todd, my former house-sitters, who might have needed something.
Fiction book (2001) -
So the trick is to steal it from a house with an elaborate alarm system and a house-sitter who's not allowed to invite anyone over without having it reported stolen for at least two months?
-
The fewer people who know your home is not occupied, the better—only alert trusted neighbors to your plans, and consider having them or house-sitters pick up your mail and paper instead of stopping these services.
Blog text (15) -
While the family is on vacation, they rely on their friend to be the house sitter and take care of the pets.
-
Before leaving for the weekend, she arranged for a trustworthy house sitter to look after her garden and mail.
Synonyms
110
1.1
A person who manages household chores and keeps the home clean
60
1.9
A person who looks after a building, home, or person when the owner is away
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is compositionally predictable: 'house' (a dwelling) + 'sitter' (an agent who 'sits' for or looks after something/someone) yields someone who stays in or looks after a house. The '-sitter' agentive pattern is productive in English (e.g., babysitter, pet sitter), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the meaning; the paid/unpaid nuance does not block this transparent derivation.
Etymology
House sitter is a simple phrase from the picture of a sitter staying in a house to care for it. That's why it means 'a person who stays in and looks after someone's house while the owners are away'.