nanny

Everyday

1. A nanny is a person whose job is to look after a family's children in the family's home. tree →
2. (UK, informal) Nanny is a child's word for grandmother, like nan or nana. tree →
3. A nanny goat is a female goat (a male is a billy goat). tree →
4. (informal, critical) A «nanny state» is a government that people think makes too many rules about how they should live. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life, nannies care for children while parents work; in stories (Mary Poppins, Nanny McPhee) nannies are magical or strict. Children call their grandmother Nanny or Nan in many British, Irish and Australian families. In farming and science, nanny and billy goats appear with kids (baby goats). In politics, «nanny state» is a complaint, not a neutral description. Phrases: «nanny goat», «a live-in nanny», «Nanny and Grandad», «nanny state».

Examples

• Our nanny picks us up from school. tree →
• Mary Poppins is the most famous nanny in stories. tree →
• (UK, informal) I'm going to Nanny's house for tea. tree →
• The nanny goat fed her two kids. tree →
• The nanny read us a story before bed. tree →
• (informal) Some people complain about a «nanny state» when new rules are made. tree →

Note

Plural «nannies» (y → ies). Capital N when used as a name for grandma: «Nanny Pat». Related: «nan», «nana», «gran». A nanny is not the same as a babysitter, who looks after children for a few hours now and then.