Definition of "gaffer" []

• An electrician in charge of lighting on a movie or television set. (noun)
• Chiefly British An old man or a rustic. (noun)
• Chiefly British A boss or foreman. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "I've never heard (or at least never noticed) the word gaffer before and I think I'm probably more familiar with British forms than most Americans (not saying much)."
• "If you've ever watched the credits of a movie you've seen the word "gaffer"---he's the head electrictian on the set."
• "'The gaffer was a centre-half and he wasn't bad, was he?"