factotum

/fækˈtəʊ.təm/

Etymology

Ellipsis of domine fac totum, dominus fac totum /dominus factotum (“absolute ruler; head servant”), from Medieval Latin domine fac tōtum (“O Lord, do everything”), also with substition of nominative dominus for vocative domine.

factotum means A person employed to perform all sorts of duties. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.

Why this word is great

FACTOTUM — [Noun] A person employed to perform a wide variety of tasks or duties. From Medieval Latin, an ellipsis of the phrase "domine fac totum" ("O Lord, do everything"), from Latin fac (imperative of facere, "to do, to make") and totum ("all, everything"). Unlike a "specialist," who tunnels deep into a single field, or a "handyman," who is summoned for specific repairs, the factotum is defined by a horizontal, elastic competence. It is the clack of a typewriter answered by the twist of a stubborn window latch, the mind that reconciles an expense ledger and a temperamental coffee machine; it is the estate retainer who manages accounts, correspondence, and temperamental hinges. This is the quiet dignity and melancholy of perpetual utility: to be the human instrument tuned to the mundane, polyphonic drone of institutional survival, a silent echo of that desperate prayer for someone to do it all.

noun

A person employed to perform all sorts of duties.“Biden’s and Bush’s factotums had to walk their statements quickly back, emphasizing that U.S. policy had not changed.”
A jack of all trades.“He lives with his devoted sister and factotum, Cyril (Lesley Manville), and a series of women who tend to be quietly eased out when they demand too much time and attention or — heaven forfend! — dare to speak during Woodcock’s monastic creative routine.”
A large decorative printing block with a central space into which any letter can be inserted, used to mark the beginning of a chapter of a book in early printing.
A person having many diverse activities or responsibilities.
A general servant.“I had almost forgotten Monee, the grinning old man who prepared our meal. […] He was Po-Po’s factotum—cook, butler, and climber of the bread-fruit and cocoa-nut trees; and, added to all else, a mighty favourite with his mistress; with whom he would sit smoking and gossiping by the hour.”