candy striper

noun

A volunteer worker in a hospital or hospice.

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Meanings

nouncandy striper (plural candy stripers)

plural candy stripers · alternative candy-striper · alternative candystriper

  1. USA volunteer worker in a hospital or hospice.

Origin

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.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

candy striper. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/candy%20striper

MLA

“candy striper.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/candy%20striper. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “candy striper,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/candy%20striper.

Source: candy striper on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.