noun · rare

candy striper

candy striper · candy stripers

A volunteer worker in a hospital or hospiceA volunteer worker in a hospital or hospice.

Meaning

1 senses

(US)A volunteer worker in a hospital or hospice.
a volunteer worker in a hospital

Origin

First appears in the US c. 1944, from candy stripe + -er, due to the red-and-white striped

First appears in the US c. 1944, from candy stripe + -er, due to the red-and-white striped jumpers worn by hospital volunteers, which resembled stick candy (being candy-striped); originally worn by a group of high-school girls who volunteered as hospital workers at East Orange General Hospital in New Jersey.

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source