factotum
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factotum
- /fækˈtəʊ.təm/ UK
- /fækˈtoʊ.təm/ US
Where it comes from
Ellipsis of domine fac totum, dominus fac totum /dominus factotum (“absolute ruler; head servant”), from Medieval Latin domine fac tōtum (“O Lord, do everything”), also with substition of nominative dominus for vocative domine.
noun factotums · factota
- A person employed to perform all sorts of duties. Biden’s and Bush’s factotums had to walk their statements quickly back, emphasizing that U.S. policy had not changed.
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A jack of all trades.
He lives with his devoted sister and factotum, Cyril (Lesley Manville), and a series of women who tend to be quietly eased out when they demand too much time and attention or — heaven forfend! — dare to speak during Woodcock’s monastic creative routine.
Similar: handyman, jack of all trades, sciolist
- A large decorative printing block with a central space into which any letter can be inserted, used to mark the beginning of a chapter of a book in early printing.
- A person having many diverse activities or responsibilities.
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A general servant.
I had almost forgotten Monee, the grinning old man who prepared our meal. […] He was Po-Po’s factotum—cook, butler, and climber of the bread-fruit and cocoa-nut trees; and, added to all else, a mighty favourite with his mistress; with whom he would sit smoking and gossiping by the hour.
Similar: do-all
Translations
Every language
noun jack of all trades
| Español | muchacho de los mandados, hombre orquesta |
|---|---|
| Português | faz-tudo |
| Deutsch | Alleskönner, Mädchen für alles |
| Русский | мастер на все руки master na vse ruki |
noun person having many responsibilities
| Español | todero |
|---|---|
| Português | factótum, faz tudo, factoto |
| Français | factotum |
| Deutsch | Faktotum |
| Italiano | factotum |
| Ελληνικά | παντοποιός pantopoiós |
noun general servant
| Español | muchacho de los mandados, hombre orquesta |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Faktotum |
| Italiano | factotum |
Talk about this word "factotum." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/factotum. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. factotum. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/factotum "factotum." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/factotum.Cite this
@misc{factotum_2026,
title = {factotum},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/factotum},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
