gaffer

/ˈgæfər/

Other forms: gaffers

A gaffer is a member of a movie or television crew. The gaffer runs the production's electrical department.

One of the jobs credited at the end of a film is the gaffer. A gaffer is responsible for the electricity that powers the lights, so her job is vital to the success of the movie. You can also call a gaffer a Chief Lighting Technician, and you can call her assistant a Best Boy. The word gaffer is also sometimes used to mean "old man," which is the oldest meaning of the word, originally a contraction of godfather.

Definitions of gaffer

1. noun

   an electrician responsible for lighting on a movie or tv set
   type of:

   electrician, lineman, linesman

   a person who installs or repairs electrical or telephone lines
2. noun

   an elderly man
   synonyms: antique, old geezer, old-timer, oldtimer

   type of:

   Methuselah, graybeard, greybeard, old man

   a man who is very old
3. noun

   a person who exercises control over workers
   synonyms: boss, chief, foreman, honcho

   types:

   baas

   South African term for `boss'

   ganger

   the foreman of a work gang

   assistant foreman, straw boss

   a member of a work gang who supervises the other workers

   type of:

   supervisor

   one who supervises or has charge and direction of