factotum

名词 n.
中文释义
英 /fækˈtəʊ.təm/    美 /fækˈtoʊ.təm/

英文释义

名词 n.
  1. A person employed to perform all sorts of duties.
    — Biden’s and Bush’s factotums had to walk their statements quickly back, emphasizing that U.S. policy had not changed.
  2. A jack of all trades.
    — He lives with his devoted sister and factotum, Cyril (Lesley Manville), and a series of women who tend to be quietly eased out when they demand too much time and attention or — heaven forfend! — dare to speak during Woodcock’s monastic creative routine.
  3. A large decorative printing block with a central space into which any letter can be inserted, used to mark the beginning of a chapter of a book in early printing. historical
  4. A person having many diverse activities or responsibilities. dated
  5. A general servant. dated
    — I had almost forgotten Monee, the grinning old man who prepared our meal. […] He was Po-Po’s factotum—cook, butler, and climber of the bread-fruit and cocoa-nut trees; and, added to all else, a mighty favourite with his mistress; with whom he would sit smoking and gossiping by the hour.

词形变化

factotums plural factota nonstandard,plural

词源

Ellipsis of domine fac totum, dominus fac totum /dominus factotum (“absolute ruler; head servant”), from Medieval Latin domine fac tōtum (“O Lord, do everything”), also with substition of nominative dominus for vocative domine.
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