gaffer

Meaning

1. A chief lighting technician for a motion-picture or television production.
2. A glassblower.
3. Someone aboard a boat whose duty is to gaff a (large) fish once the angler has reeled it in.

Synonyms

boss

foreman

chief

antique

honcho

old geezer

old-timer

head

oldtimer

chairperson

conductor

contractor

cosh

custodian

employer

fuhrer

geezer

governor

headman

janitor

king

👑

leader

master

mastermind

nightstick

old man

oldster

power

ringleader

ruler

steward

stewardess

subcontractor

superintendent

supervisor

taker

tribune

truncheon

turnkey

billystick

caudillo

stun baton

authority

baton

bellwether

bigwig

billy

billy club

blackjack

caretaker

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɡæfɚ/

Etymology

Cognate with French: compère

Cognate with German: Gevatter

In summary

From gaff (“hook”) + -er.
* (cinema): The natural lighting on early film sets was adjusted by opening and closing flaps in the tent cloths, called gaff cloths or gaff flaps.
* (glass):