au pair
[ oh pair ]
/ oʊ ˈpɛər /
noun
a person, usually a young foreign visitor, employed to take care of children, do housework, etc., in exchange for room and board: We sent the children to the beach with the au pair.
adjective
of, relating to, or employed under such an arrangement: an au pair girl.
Origin of au pair
1965–70; < French, literally, equal, even (
au contraction of
à le at the +
pair equal (noun); cf.
pair), referring to the equal exchange of work for room and board
Words nearby au pair
British Dictionary definitions for au pair
au pair
/ (əʊ ˈpɛə, French o pɛr) /
noun
- a young foreigner, usually a girl, who undertakes housework in exchange for board and lodging, esp in order to learn the language
- (as modifier)an au pair girl
a young person who lives temporarily with a family abroad in exchange for a reciprocal arrangement with his or her own family
verb
(intr)
to work as an au pair
adverb
as an au pair
she worked au pair in Greece
Word Origin for au pair
C20: from French: on an equal footing