1. An electrician in charge of lighting on a movie or television set.
2. Chiefly British. An old man or a rustic.
3. Chiefly British. A boss or foreman.

[Probably alteration (influenced by GRANDFATHER) of GODFATHER.]

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.