gaffer

noun

gaf·​fer ˈga-fər 

1

: an old man compare gammer

2

British

a

: foreman, overseer

b

: employer

3

: a head glassblower

4

: a lighting electrician on a movie or television set

Did you know?

Though movie and cinema buffs associate gaffer with Hollywood, the word actually pre-dates motion pictures by about 300 years. The first recorded use of gaffer dates from the 16th century, when it was used as a title of respect for an older gentleman. Later it was used as a generic noun for any elderly man, and then it picked up the sense "foreman" (still used in British English), perhaps because the foreman was the most experienced and, most likely, the oldest person in a work crew. Today gaffer is usually applied to the head lighting electrician on a movie set. The gaffer's assistant is called the best boy.

Examples of gaffer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For example, the gaffer, Thomas Garreau, really found a solution for this quarry shot. —Beatrice Verhoeven, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Dec. 2024

Available for just a day, Ripley and his gaffer, Mathias Peralta, used their own bulbs in the room’s fixtures to allow Peters 360-degree filming. —Mark Peikert, IndieWire, 18 Aug. 2024

What if the gaffer had the same assault happen as a child? —Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 June 2024

His production designer quit and his gaffer (lighting) died. —Erin Jensen, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

phonetic reduction of godfather entry 1 (with initial vowel perhaps from grandfather entry 1)

First Known Use

1589, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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