candy striper: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowInformal, Historical
Quick answer
What does “candy striper” mean?
A volunteer, typically a teenage girl, who works in a hospital wearing a distinctive red and white striped uniform.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A volunteer, typically a teenage girl, who works in a hospital wearing a distinctive red and white striped uniform.
More broadly, any young hospital volunteer performing non-medical tasks; by extension, can sometimes refer to any enthusiastic, cheerful young volunteer, particularly in a caregiving context.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is almost exclusively American. British English historically used 'Red Cross volunteer', 'hospital volunteer', or simply 'volunteer'. The specific role and uniform were not a British tradition.
Connotations
In AmE: Nostalgic, dated, wholesome, associated with post-war Americana. In BrE: The term is known primarily through American media; it may sound quaint or entirely unfamiliar.
Frequency
Very rare in modern AmE, except in historical or nostalgic contexts. Effectively nonexistent in modern BrE.
Grammar
How to Use “candy striper” in a Sentence
She was a candy striper.He volunteered as a candy striper.The candy striper brought flowers.a candy striper at the local hospitalVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “candy striper” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Not used as a verb.
American English
- Not used as a verb.
adverb
British English
- Not used as an adverb.
American English
- Not used as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- Not used as an adjective.
American English
- Not used as an adjective.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Rarely used, only in historical or sociological papers discussing volunteerism, gender roles, or post-war American culture.
Everyday
Used occasionally by older generations recalling their youth. Largely obsolete in contemporary conversation.
Technical
Not used in medical or healthcare technical contexts.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “candy striper”
- Using it to refer to any volunteer (only specific to hospitals).
- Using it for male volunteers (though historically possible, it was overwhelmingly female).
- Using it in a modern context as if the role still commonly exists under that name.
- Spelling: 'candystriper' (should be two words).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Historically, the role was overwhelmingly filled by teenage girls. While not explicitly forbidden, the term and the cultural image are strongly feminine.
The specific role with the iconic red-and-white striped pinafore is largely a thing of the past. However, hospital volunteer programs for teenagers are still common, but they typically have different titles like 'junior volunteer' or 'student volunteer' and wear modern uniforms like scrubs or polo shirts.
The name comes from the resemblance of their red-and-white striped pinafores to the stripes on a traditional candy cane.
They performed non-medical, supportive tasks such as delivering flowers and mail, filling water pitchers, wheeling patients, assisting at information desks, and running errands for nursing staff. They did not provide medical care.
A volunteer, typically a teenage girl, who works in a hospital wearing a distinctive red and white striped uniform.
Candy striper is usually informal, historical in register.
Candy striper: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkændi ˌstraɪ.pər/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkændi ˌstraɪ.pɚ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None specific to the term.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'candy' for the sweet, young volunteers and 'stripe' for their red-and-white striped pinafores.
Conceptual Metaphor
VOLUNTEER IS A SWEET (Candy) / UNIFORM IS A PATTERN (Stripe). Youthful, cheerful help is sweet; identity is marked by a distinctive pattern.
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary reason the term 'candy striper' is rarely used today?