The word curate can be used in a number of ways, but most commonly it refers to a person who is responsible for the care and supervision of a particular collection of items. In the context of a museum or art gallery, a curator is responsible for selecting and arranging the exhibits on display. In a library, a curator might be responsible for choosing and acquiring new books and other materials.

But the word curate can also be used more broadly to refer to anyone who supervises or manages a particular area or activity. For example, you might refer to the head of your school’s art department as the curator of the art program. Or a doctor might be said to curate her patients’ health care.

In its simplest form, then, the word curate means to care for or manage something. And that’s a word we can all use in our everyday lives.