lister

IPA/ˈeɪ.lɪs.tər/
KK[lˈɪstɚ]IPA/ˈeɪ.lɪs.tɚ/

lister — noun

  • listersingular
  • listersplural

1. someone whose job or task is to write down items in an organized list, for examp

1.noun
Definition

someone whose job or task is to write down items in an organized list, for example recording items in a collection, goods for sale, or names on a register.

Example

Joaquín works as a lister for the city library, recording every new book that arrives.

occupational noun: lister + for [organization]

The auction house hired a lister to describe each painting before the sale began.

Common collocations
  • lister for the museum
  • lister at the auction house
  • work as a lister
Synonyms
  • cataloger

    more systematic; often used in library and museum settings with formal classification

  • recorder

    broader meaning; can refer to any person who keeps records, not only lists

  • registrar

    formal, permanent institutional role, usually in schools or government offices

Grammar Patterns

lister + for [organization]

lister + of [items]

Common Mistakes

She works as a listener for the museum.
She works as a lister for the museum.
'Listener' means someone who hears or pays attention; 'lister' means someone who makes lists.

2. a farming tool with two curved metal blades that pushes soil to both sides of a

2.noun
Definition

a farming tool with two curved metal blades that pushes soil to both sides of a narrow ditch, used mainly in areas with low rainfall to help the soil hold water for crops.

Example

Hugo adjusted the lister before driving his tractor across the dry wheat field.

farming domain: adjust + a lister

A lister works well in dry regions because it traps moisture by pushing soil into ridges.

passive benefit: lister traps moisture

Common collocations
  • adjust a lister
  • use a lister
  • lister blade
  • drive a lister
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

use a lister

lister + for [crop type]

Usage Note

This agricultural sense is primarily used in American English and is very rare in everyday conversation. Learners are more likely to encounter the general word 'plow.'

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A lister writes down items in an organized list, often for a temporary or project-based task. A cataloger works more systematically, creating detailed records with descriptions and categories — common in libraries and museums. A registrar keeps official records for an institution such as a school, hospital, or government office, and is usually a formal, long-term job. A recorder is a more general term for anyone who documents information, not necessarily in list form. For example, a lister at a garage sale writes down prices on a sheet of paper, while the registrar at a university enrolls students and keeps their official records.

cataloger ↗registrar ↗recorder ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • lister blade
  • lister plow
  • lister furrow

Phrases

  • work as a lister
  • hire a lister
  • use a lister

Prepositions

  • lister for
  • lister at
  • lister of

Etymology

GermanicOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'lister' has two separate origins. The sense 'person who makes lists' comes from the verb 'list' (to write in order), which traces back through Old French 'liste' meaning 'strip of paper' to Italian 'lista' and Germanic roots meaning 'border' or 'strip.' The agricultural sense for a double-bladed plow dates from the early 1800s in American English, possibly from an older dialect meaning of 'list' as a 'strip' or 'ridge' of land. The surgeon Joseph Lister is a different word altogether — a surname unrelated to either meaning.

First known use

1682

1682, in the meaning defined above Noun (2)