שמרטף

Hebrew

Root
שׁ־מ־ר־ט־ף (sh-m-r-ṭ-p)

Etymology 1

From שמר (shamár, “to guard; (hence, by extension) to keep”) +‎ טף (taf, “babies, infants, small children”).

Noun

שְׁמַרְטַף • (sh'martáf) m (plural indefinite שְׁמַרְטַפִּים, singular construct שְׁמַרְטַף־, plural construct שְׁמַרְטַפֵּי־, feminine counterpart שְׁמַרְטַפִּית)

1. A (male) babysitter: a (male) person who takes care of one or more infants or children.

Synonyms

• (babysitter): בייביסיטר (beibisiter), שומר טף (shomér-taf)

Etymology 2

From the above, via the root ש־מ־ר־ט־ף (sh-m-r-t-p).

Verb

שְׁמִרְטֵף • (sh'mirtéf) (pi'el construction)

1. To babysit: to act as a babysitter (for).

Verb

שְׁמֻרְטַף • (sh'murtáf) (pu'al construction)

1. defective spelling of שמורטף.

References

• “שְׁמַרְטַף” in Abraham Even-Shoshan (אַבְרָהָם אֶבֶן־שׁוֹשָׁן) et al., הַמִּלּוֹן הֶחָדָשׁ (ha-milón he-khadásh, “The New Dictionary”), Kiryat-Sefer Ltd. (קִרְיַת־סֵפֶר בְּע״ם)‎ (1984), →ISBN, volume 3 of 3 (ק to ת), page 1389.