# janitor

Pronunciation: US say "JAN-i-tur" /ˈd͡ʒænɪtɚ/; UK say "JAN-i-tuh" /ˈd͡ʒænɪtə/

## Noun

1. A person responsible for the cleaning and upkeep of a public building. *(Philippines, US)*
   - Simple: A person whose job is to clean and take care of a large public building.
   - _The night janitor emptied the trash bins and locked the offices on each floor._
   - _Several janitors share responsibility for maintaining the museum after closing._
2. A caretaker or custodian who maintains a school building and may also take on administrative duties. *(dialectal, Hong Kong, Philippines, Scotland, US)*
   - Simple: A person who cleans and looks after a school building and sometimes does other jobs too.
   - _The janitor managed deliveries, supervised the lot, and still found time to repair broken desks._
   - _Beyond cleaning, the janitors handled keys, alarms, and visitor sign-ins._
3. A person who attends or guards the entrance to a building.
   - Simple: A person who guards or watches the door of a building.
   - _The janitor admitted only those with an appointment to see the magistrate._
   - _Two janitors flanked the gateway, turning away anyone who lacked a token._
4. A derogatory name for someone who moderates an online discussion forum.
   - Simple: An unkind name for a person who moderates an online discussion forum.
   - _Angry posters dismissed the forum janitor as a power-tripping busybody._
   - _The site's janitors were mocked every time they wiped a heated debate._

## Origin

From Latin "ianitor," meaning "doorkeeper."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/janitor (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).