Word
babysitting
Phoneticsbabysit·ting
US/ˈbeɪbiˌsɪtɪŋ/
UK/bˈeɪbɪsˌɪtɪŋ/
Definition
n. the job of looking after children for a short time while their parents are away.
n. the act of providing temporary childcare, typically on an informal or short-term basis while parents are absent.
Examples
“She earns extra money by babysitting for her neighbours.”
“The couple struggled to find a reliable person for babysitting on Friday nights.”
“While professional childcare requires formal certification, babysitting is often the first form of paid employment for teenagers seeking to develop responsibility and financial independence.”
Examples
simple
“She earns extra money by babysitting for her neighbours.”
contextual
“The couple struggled to find a reliable person for babysitting on Friday nights.”
complex
“While professional childcare requires formal certification, babysitting is often the first form of paid employment for teenagers seeking to develop responsibility and financial independence.”
Usage
Typically functions as an uncountable activity noun; when referring to a specific instance, 'a babysitting job' is preferred.
Pitfall
I have many babysittings this week
I have a lot of babysitting to do this week
Babysitting is uncountable when referring to the activity; use 'jobs' or 'sessions' if you need to count individual instances.
Etymology
From babysit + -ing.
From baby + sitting.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.