Other forms: overseers
An overseer is somebody who supervises workers. The overseer watched, appoint an overseer, a harsh overseer.
The word carries the history of plantations and workhouses, where an overseer had power over people who could not leave — which is why it is rarely used of modern management. In the parish system, the overseer of the poor administered relief. Note supervisor, which is the neutral modern word.
1nounoverseerSomebody who supervises workers.
“The overseer walked along the rows, shouting at anyone who worked too slowly.”
overseer is a supervisor.
Old English
ofersēon — to observe, oversee; to overlook, neglect
Middle English
overseen
English
oversee
English, today
overseer
From oversee + -er. oversee comes from Middle English overseen, ouverseen, from Old English ofersēon (“to observe, oversee; to overlook, neglect”), equivalent to over- + see.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA