steward

Etymology

From Middle English steward, stiward, from Old English stīweard, stiġweard (“steward, housekeeper, one who has the superintendence of household affairs, guardian”), from stiġ (“a wooden enclosure; house, hall”) + weard (“ward, guard, guardian, keeper”), equivalent to sty + ward. Compare Icelandic stívarður (“steward”). More at sty, ward.

noun

1. A person who manages the property or affairs for another entity
   1. (historical) A chief administrator of a medieval manor.
2. (nautical) A ship's officer who is in charge of making dining arrangements and provisions.
3. A flight attendant, especially male.
4. A union member who is selected as a representative for fellow workers in negotiating terms with management.
5. A person who has charge of buildings, grounds, and/or animals.
6. Someone responsible for organizing an event
7. Bartender
8. A fiscal agent of certain bodies.
   a steward in a Methodist church
9. A junior assistant in a Masonic lodge.
10. (higher education) An officer who provides food for the students and superintends the kitchen; also, an officer who attends to the accounts of the students.
11. (Scotland) A magistrate appointed by the crown to exercise jurisdiction over royal lands.
    These lands must have been retained by some earlier Steward, perhaps Walter II (1204-41), when most of Erskine had been made into a fief for Henry, first known ancestor of the Erskine family. 2001, The Innes Review
12. (information technology) Somebody who is responsible for managing a set of projects, products or technologies and how they affect the IT organization to which they belong.
13. (motor racing) Person responsible for the arbitration of incidents at a motor racing event and whether or not fines/penalties should be issued for such incidents.

verb

1. To act as the steward or caretaker of (something)
   Assemblyman John S. Wisniewski, a Democrat from Middlesex County, said, “It’s an uncomfortable situation,” but added that Mr. Codey is nevertheless “ably stewarding the state.” May 1, 2007, Richard G. Jones, “An Acting Governor’s Balancing Act: Taking the Lead Without Stepping on Toes”, in New York Times