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One entrusted with caring for a superior's goods. In the Old Testament a steward was over an entire household. He was responsible for managing the householder's material goods <Gen. 43:19>. In the New Testament the word steward refers to a guardian or curator <Matt. 20:8; Gal. 4:2> in addition to its Old Testament meaning as a manager or superintendent of a household <Luke 8:2-3; 1 Cor. 4:1-2>.
The apostle Paul called himself a steward of Christ's household, responsible to Christ the Master for carrying out an assigned task-- to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. A 1 Christians are stewards under Christ <1 Pet. 4:10>.
(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary)
(Copyright (C) 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)