Dictionary

truant officer en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈtɹuːənt ˈɔfɪsɚ/ (General-American)
• /ˈtɹʊənt ˈɒfɪsə/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Compound of truant + officer.

Meanings

1. An official responsible for investigating people who may be truant and compelling their attendance.
   • Every town the size of Maycomb had families like the Ewells. No economic fluctuations changed their status—people like the Ewells lived as guests of the county in prosperity as well as in the depths of a depression. No truant officers could keep their numerous offspring in school; no public health officer could free them from congenital defects, various worms, and the diseases indigenous to filthy surroundings. 1960 July 11, Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, Philadelphia, Pa.; New York, N.Y.: J[oshua] B[allinger] Lippincott Company, →OCLC:
   • The truant officer called at the home to see why the student hadn't arrived.

Forms