noun
lister
LIHST
noun
1
Someone (or something) that makes or keeps a list.
"As a compulsive lister, she had notebooks full of to-do lists going back years."
"The auction house employed a lister to catalogue every item before the sale."
2
A birdwatcher who focuses on adding new species to a personal checklist rather than just watching birds for pleasure.
"Serious listers will travel across the country to add one rare bird to their life list."
"He started as a casual birdwatcher but became a dedicated lister within a year."
3
A type of plough with two mouldboards that digs a deep furrow while planting seed at the bottom of it.
"Farmers on the plains once relied on a lister to plant corn deep enough to survive dry spells."
How to Use Lister
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA person, tool, or machine that lists things — whether that means writing them down, cataloguing birds, or ploughing furrows.
Common mistake
Don't confuse the birdwatching sense with a general "list-maker" — among birders, "lister" specifically means someone chasing rare sightings for their list.
Common pairings
a keen lister
life lister
lister plough
Word Forms
listers plural, listers plural
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As a compulsive _____, she had notebooks full of to-do lists going back years.
Etymology
From list (in the sense "to make a list of things") plus the agent suffix -er, meaning "one who does the action."