Jump To:

• 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.

---

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.”

---

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)

---

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

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

"A large dose acts on the system quickly--within an hour," scoffed the abigail.

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

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 Munro, Neil

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 Allinson, A. R. (Alfred Richard)

"What does this mean?" cried the abigail, with an imperious frown which served to mask a new-born terror.

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

Now, after Welsh identical twins Abigail and Emily Roper won bronze medals within a couple of hours of each other on Monday, Evans has delivered gold.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

In November 2025, Abigail Spanberger won Virginia’s governorship in a landslide after promising to make data centers “pay their own way and their fair share.”

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey and Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, veterans of the Navy and Central Intelligence Agency respectively, were elected to the House in 2018 by claiming seats previously controlled by the GOP.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman, instead referenced Khalil’s continuing immigration case, saying he allegedly misrepresented himself and committed fraud to obtain a student visa.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

A woman in an apron, Abigail, maybe, raises her arm and shakes it in encouragement.

From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti