different between janitor vs sweeper

English

Etymology

From Latin ianitor (doorkeeper)

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?d??æn?t?/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?d??æn?t?/

Noun

janitor (plural janitors) (female: janitress or janitrix (rare))

1. (chiefly US) Someone who looks after the maintenance and cleaning of a public building.
   1. (Scotland) A caretaker or custodian; someone who maintains a school building specifically and may serve other administrative roles.
2. A doorman.
3. (Internet slang, 4chan, sometimes derogatory) A moderator for a discussion forum.

Synonyms

• (mostly British) caretaker
• cleaner
• (British) concierge
• (One who maintains a collection, especially in a museum): curator
• custodian
• (One who cleans and maintains a garden): groundskeeper
• maintenance person
• (One who maintains a forum): moderator, mod
• porter

Derived terms

• janitoriat

Translations

English

Etymology

From Middle English swepere, swepare, equivalent to sweep +? -er.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?swip?/

Noun

sweeper (plural sweepers)

1. One who sweeps floors or chimneys.
2. A detector (for mines).
3. Any of the small, tropical marine perciform fishes of the family Pempheridae, typically with deeply keeled, compressed bodies and large eyes.
4. (soccer) A defender who is the last line of defence before the goalkeeper.
5. (curling) A person who sweeps the ice ahead of the rock in play.
6. (cricket) A batsman who plays sweep shots.
7. (cricket) A fielding position along the boundary; a fielder in this position.
8. A tree that has fallen over a river with branches extending into the water.
   • ..tree will be hanging over the water about canoe level (a sweeper).. Basic Essentials Canoe Paddling, 3rd - Page 62
   • So named because they can sweep passengers from a boat, they can also capsize a canoe, especially when paddlers lean too far away from the sweeper.. River Running: Canoeing, Kayaking, Rowing, Rafting - Page 102
9. A carpet sweeper.
10. (US, regional, including Ohio and Indiana) A vacuum cleaner.
11. (regional, including Cebu) A group of students tasked at cleaning the homeroom after class dismissal.

Derived terms

• carpet sweeper
• minesweeper
• street sweeper

Translations

Anagrams

• weepers