candy striper

noun

: a usually teenage volunteer worker at a hospital

Examples of candy striper in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In hospitals, candy stripers are selfless volunteers. Lesley Evans Ogden, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2023 Before becoming a full-time hair aesthetician, Ahmad went to nursing school for a few years, worked as a candy striper at Mercy Hospital in Miami and spent a year working at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Ana Faguy, baltimoresun.com, 31 Aug. 2020 Copeland volunteered as a child, in the community, in school and as a candy striper in a hospital. cleveland.com, 30 June 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'candy striper.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

from the striped uniform worn suggesting the stripes on some sticks of candy

First Known Use

1951, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of candy striper was in 1951

Dictionary Entries Near candy striper

Cite this Entry

“Candy striper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/candy%20striper. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

candy striper

noun
candy strip·​er
-ˌstrī-pər
: a teenage volunteer hospital worker
Etymology

so called from the fact that the uniform is traditionally striped like some stick candies

Medical Definition

candy striper

noun
can·​dy strip·​er ˈkan-dē-ˌstrī-pər How to pronounce candy striper (audio)
: a usually teenage volunteer worker at a hospital
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