# Nurse Ratched

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A sadistic, controlling woman, especially a nurse, in a position of authority.

## Etymology
Coined for the fictional character Nurse Ratched, the head nurse in Ken Kesey's 1962 novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (and the 1975 film adaptation, in which she was portrayed by actress Louise Fletcher).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/nurse-ratched