street cleaner (old term); pleco fish
Meanings
2 senses · 6 examplesnoun
street cleaner; sanitation worker (historical term)
archaicOriginally referred to street sweepers in the early 20th century or earlier; now largely replaced by 清洁工 or 环卫工人 in modern contexts, though still understood.
Street cleaners in the old society had to get up at dawn every day to sweep the streets.
His grandfather worked as a street cleaner in Shanghai when he was young.
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The term 'qingdaofu' is rarely heard nowadays.
noun
pleco; janitor fish (Hypostomus plecostomus and similar species)
Commonly refers to suckermouth catfish used in aquariums to clean algae and debris from tank walls and bottom. Often shortened to just 清道夫 in casual speech.
I keep two plecos in the fish tank to clean up the algae.
Although janitor fish can clean aquariums, they become aggressive as they grow larger.
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This fish got its name because it cleans the tank like a street cleaner.