1. A person engaged to care for one or more children in the temporary absence of parents or guardians.
2. A person who cares for or watches over someone or something that needs attention or guidance.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.