| 释义 |
key worker, n.
in sense 1 Brit. |ˈkiː ˌwəːkə|, U.S. |ˈki ˌwərkər| in sense 2 Brit. |ˌkiː ˈwəːkə|, U.S. |ˌki ˈwərkər|
[‹ key n.1 + worker n.]
1. U.S. A person who works with keys. Now rare.
a. A person who picks locks, a burglar.
1895Boston Daily Globe 16 Feb. 2/2 Key workers sentenced. Maguire, Doyle and Mann given time to repent their larcenies... They carried out their unlawful purpose with false keys. 1909Coshocton (Ohio) Daily Age 13 Dec. 1/5 (headline) Big theft is reported. Keyworker secures $300,000 worth of jewels in Gotham Hotel. 1924Bridgeport (Connecticut) Telegram 16 Oct. 2/5 (headline) Key worker sought; one more burglary.
b. A telegraphist. Cf. key n.1 12a, key-man n. (b) at key n.1 Compounds 2.
1902Daily Rev. (Decatur, Illinois) 1 Jan. 6/6 This performance was repeated perhaps a dozen times and the key worker was driven almost crazy by the mix-up. 1907Newark (Ohio) Advocate 12 Aug. 1/1 All postal operators here have struck in sympathy with the striking key workers. 1930Oakland (Calif.) Tribune 9 Mar. 15/7 Key worker's widow would close estate... Probate of the will of James Utterback, veteran employee of the Key System company.
2.
a. Chiefly Brit. An employee providing vital or high-priority goods or services; (in later use usually) spec. a public-sector employee working in the emergency services, education, or another field considered integral to social infrastructure.
1919Times 6 Jan. 10/2 Manufacturers in the large industrial centres await the release of their ‘pivotal’ men... Everywhere the process is retarded for want of the skilled labour of the ‘key’ workers. 1943Jrnl. Farm Econ. 25 304 Steps should be taken to retain present key-workers and to replace those where production is threatened. 1970Times 19 Mar. 8/3 Local authorities..should be able to facilitate..the purchase of houses for..key workers moving into development areas. 1992M. Baren How it all Began 24/2 George Cadbury built houses near the works for key workers, and in 1893 he bought a further 120 acres of land near the works. 2005Metro (London ed.) 24 Feb. 2/5 Key workers in London are to be given medicine to protect them from Asian bird flu... Up to 100,000 police officers, transport workers and firefighters would be given the drug Tamiflu in the event of a pandemic.
b. Brit. The principal care worker allocated to a particular person.
1981Times 21 Nov. 2/2 The key worker in the case..is an experienced and qualified social worker, who was told..that his action in leaving the child at home was correct. 1991Independent 12 Nov. 7/3 Patients are to have a nurse designated as their personal ‘key worker’—an idea from the Government's Patient's Charter. 1994Mental Illness 3/1 If you do see a specialist from a mental health team, you should be offered one person who will be your main contact—your key worker. 2001B. Broady In this Block there lives Slag 118 If you're getting anywhere with Tracey then it's only because her keyworker's been through all the shit..with her already. |
