ENGLISH
REFERENCE

curator

n.
US //ˈkjʊɹətɝ// UK //kjʊɹˈeɪtɐ// cu·ra·tor
  1. 1 museum or gallery manager (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a person whose job is to look after the objects in a museum or art gallery.

    a professional responsible for the acquisition, preservation, and display of items in a museum, gallery, or archive.

    Example

    The curator spent months deciding which paintings to include in the new exhibition.

    Example

    The senior curator at the National Gallery is currently overseeing the restoration of several seventeenth-century Dutch landscapes before the retrospective opens next spring.
  2. 2 digital or content organiser (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Computing

    someone who selects and organises content, like music or articles, for others to enjoy.

    an individual who selects, organises, and presents digital content or information for a specific audience.

    Example

    She works as a content curator for a popular music streaming app.

    Example

    As a digital curator, his primary responsibility involves filtering vast amounts of data to provide users with a streamlined and relevant news feed.
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  1. 3 legal guardian (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal Technical Law

    a person chosen by a court to manage the money or property of someone who cannot do it themselves.

    a person appointed by a court to manage the estate or affairs of a minor or a person deemed legally incompetent.

    Example

    The court appointed a curator to manage the elderly man's finances.

    Example

    Following the sudden disappearance of the property owner, the court designated a curator to oversee the estate's assets until a legal heir could be identified.
  2. 4 cricket groundsman (n.)
    C2 Proficiency British English Dialect Sport

    a person who takes care of a cricket field.

    a person responsible for the preparation and maintenance of a cricket pitch and its surrounding field.

    Example

    The curator checked the grass on the pitch every morning before the match.

    Example

    The head curator faced significant pressure to prepare a fast, bouncy pitch that would favour the home team's pace bowlers during the final test match.

    Usage

    Commonly used in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
    • groundsman
    • groundskeeper
Origin

From Latin cūrātor (“one who has care of a thing, a manager, guardian, trustee”), from cūrāre (“to take care of”), from cūra (“care, heed, attention, anxiety, grief”).

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