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• abigail
  abigail

  noun

  a lady's maid.
• Abigail
  Abigail

  noun

  (in the Bible) the wife of Nabal and later of David.

abigail

¹ American  

[ab-i-geyl] / ˈæb ɪˌgeɪl /

noun

1. a lady's maid.

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Abigail ² American  

[ab-i-geyl] / ˈæb ɪˌgeɪl /

noun

1. (in the Bible) the wife of Nabal and later of David.

2. a first name: from a Hebrew word meaning “joy of the father.”

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Abigail British  

/ ˈæbɪˌɡeɪl /

noun

1. Old Testament the woman who brought provisions to David and his followers and subsequently became his wife (I Samuel 25:1–42)

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Etymology

Origin of abigail

1645–55; after Abigail, name of attendant in play The Scornful Lady (1610), by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

abigail Abigail

Mungo sighed and said no more then, but went to Annapla and sought relief for his feelings in bilingual wrangling with that dark abigail.

From Doom Castle by Neil Munro

I could not believe the missive was intended for me; and I asked the abigail who had delivered it if she was not mistaken in the recipient.

From The Merrie Tales of Jacques Tournebroche And Child Life in Town and Country by A. R. (Alfred Richard) Allinson

Foster-sister and confidential abigail to the Marquise de Gange, the two were as united as if they had indeed been sisters.

From The Maid of Honour, Vol. 1 (of 3) A Tale of the Dark Days of France by Lewis Wingfield

There is a fine opportunity, for Mr. Pye Hilary is in love, in despair, and in waiting: he expects his mistress’s abigail; in negociating with whom, he conceives Tarradiddle will be a valuable assistant.

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 1, October 2, 1841 by Various

The anxious abigail felt that they were in precisely the same harrowing position as Sister Anne and Fatima.

From The Maid of Honour (Vol. 3 of 3) A Tale of the Dark Days of France by Lewis Wingfield

It makes sense to be headquartered in California, both because of its history of car culture and its “positive vision of the future,” said Abigail Ramsden, Rivian’s senior manager of state policy for Western states.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

"These are thick blocks of ice that can drift for years," specifies Dr. Abigail Dalton of the Canadian Ice Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026

We also have even more moderate Democrats, like Abigail Spanberger, who’s passing good legislation.

From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026

The 19-year-old performed well in the final routine of the women's programme, with silver for England's Abigail Martin, whose team-mate Shantae-Eve Amankwaah took bronze.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

“I'll do you a deal, Emma. I'll let you off the hook if you just explain why you're happy sharing your secret with Abigail but not the rest of us.”

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell