ba ‧ by ‧ sit /ˈbeɪbisɪt/ BrE AmE verb ( past tense and past participle babysat /-sæt/, present participle babysitting ) [intransitive and transitive]
to take care of children while their parents are away for a short time
—babysitting noun [uncountable] :
a babysitting service
—babysitter noun [countable]
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THESAURUS
▪ take care of somebody ( also look after somebody especially British English ) to make sure a child or an old or sick person is safe and has the things they need:
I have to look after my little brother.
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Taking care of a baby is hard work.
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She is taking care of her grandmother while her grandfather is in hospital.
▪ care for somebody to take care of someone. Care for somebody is less common and more formal than take care of/look after somebody :
He was cared for by a team of nurses.
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Caring for an elderly relative can be very rewarding.
▪ nurse to look after someone who is ill:
He nursed his wife through a long illness.
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The monks nursed him back to health (=looked after him until he was well again) .
▪ babysit to look after children in the evening while their parents go out somewhere:
I’ll ask Jane to babysit on Wednesday night.
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He used to babysit for Mary when she worked nights.
▪ mind British English to look after a child while their parents are not there, especially for a short time:
Will you mind the baby while I go to the shop?