Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 10, 2023 is: factotum \fak-TOH-tum\ noun

A factotum is a person who has many diverse activities or responsibilities, and especially one whose work involves a wide variety of tasks.

// After graduating from college, Natalia worked for several years as an office factotum.

[See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/factotum)

Examples:

"Francesca, one of her former students, works tirelessly as Lydia’s factotum, [amanuensis](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amanuensis), and personal assistant, in the expectation of becoming her assistant conductor in Berlin." — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2022

Did you know?

"Do everything!" That's a tall order, but it is exactly what a factotum is expected to do. It's also a literal translation of the Latin phrase fac tōtum: the phrase is usually glossed as "do all!" with the punctuation expressing the force behind the command. (Fac is an [imperative](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imperative) form of facere, "to make, do," and tōtum means "the whole, entirety.") When it first appeared in English in the mid-16th century, factotum was frequently paired with other words in such phrases as dominus/domine factotum ("lord/lady" factotum), magister factotum ("master" factotum), and Johannes factotum ("John" factotum), all approximate synonyms of the slightly younger term [jack-of-all-trades](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jack-of-all-trades). While in the past factotum could also be synonymous with [meddler](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meddler) and [busybody](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/busybody), the word today refers to a handy, versatile sort anyone in need of an assistant might hope for.