nurseman

English

Etymology

From nurse +‎ -man.

Noun

nurseman (plural nursemen)

1. A man employed to care for children.
   • 1859, Oliné Keese [pen name; Caroline Leakey], “Port Arthur.—The Settlement.”, in The Broad Arrow: Being Passages from the History of Maida Gwynnham, a Lifer, volume II, London: Richard Bentley, page 318:

     Danby, the nurseman, was cautioned against kissing, or permitting kisses from the little girl (still the baby of the Evelyn family);

   • 1879 April, David D. Porter, “The Chinese in America—Present and Future, Etc.”, in The United Service. A Quarterly Review of Military and Naval Affairs., volume I, number II, Philadelphia, Pa.: Lewis R. Hamersly & Co., page 311:

     Then every one was complaining about the high price of labor, and it was supposed that a Chinese “nurseman,” at two dollars and a half a month, would be a decided improvement over a French bonne with watery eyes and a Corkonian accent, and that a cook who could make at least tolerable dishes at four dollars a month would be better than one who charged seventy-five dollars for the privilege of spoiling provisions.

   • 1894, Walter Browne, “Utopia. A. D. 2894”, in “2894”; or, The Fossil Man (A Mid-Winter Night’s Dream), New York: G. W. Dillingham, page 69:

     “But why does he send you here with that blessed kid?” asked the young lady. “For the purpose of moulding the baby’s mind,” replied the nurseman.

   • 1907 October, “The Jester and the World: His Comments, Humorous and Satirical, on Events and Incidents of Every Day”, in The Pandex of the Press, series II, volume VI, number 4, section “Old Men as Nurses: British Matrons, Unable to Get Girls, Engage Workhouse Inmates”, page 494:

     In Blackburn housewives are finding it almost impossible to get nursemaids. So they are employing old men instead. […] Meanwhile aged, bearded “nursemen” may be seen in the streets and gardens of Blackburn made young again by sharing the games and ranks of their youthful charges.

   • 1909, Frank R[ichardson] Cana, South Africa from the Great Trek to the Union, London: Chapman & Hall, Ltd., page 281:

     […]; the rickshaw “boys” and the white-robed coolies, the Indian attendants at club and hotel, the Zulu nursemaids (nursemen in this case), all combine to give the city a distinctive character.

   • 1972, C. E. Collett, “Rearing a Potential Winner—Making Life Worthwhile—The Necessity of Companionship”, in The Chow Chow, New York, N.Y.: Arco Publishing Company, Inc., →ISBN, page 74:

     Devoted little nursemaids and nursemen assist with the feeding, and woe to the misguided child who dares to encroach on another’s particular privilege.

   • 1988, Diana H[ilary] Coole, “Socialism: Utopian and Feminist”, in Women in Political Theory: From Ancient Misogyny to Contemporary Feminism, Sussex: Wheatsheaf Books; Boulder, Colo.: Lynne Rienner Publishers, →ISBN, page 176:

     Nursemen and nursemaids with a vocation for child-care, will tend the infants until they begin work/play at about 2 years old in miniature workshops (their first ‘job’ being pea-sorting).

   • 2010, Hilary Bradt, Slow Devon & Exmoor: Local, Characterful Guides to Britain’s Special Places, Bradt Travel Guides Ltd; Alastair Sawday Publishing Co Ltd; The Globe Pequot Press Inc, →ISBN, page 73:

     Or sometimes doesn’t: the squeals of disgruntled piglets can be heard from far off, but whenever a baby cries there are nursemaids – or nursemen – on hand to take it back for a soothing word or two.

Coordinate terms

• nursemaid