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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

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

On the left is the cunning abigail, who supplanted the duchess in the favour of Queen Anne—Mrs. Masham.

From Visits and Sketches at Home and Abroad with Tales and Miscellanies Now First Collected Vol. II (of 3) by Jameson, Mrs. (Anna)

"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

I have prepared, however, another carriage for the abigail, and all the trumpery which our wives drag along with them.

From Life of Lord Byron, Vol. 3 With His Letters and Journals by Moore, Thomas

The abigail had got the worst of the encounter, her proofs as well as her accusation were rendered ridiculous, even in her own eyes, although she knew the accusation to be true.

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

Abigail Spanberger, now governor of Virginia, told her colleagues on a roiling conference call after the 2020 election.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

Some looked down at their phones, texting as members of the public slung question after question that Abigail Marquez, general manager of L.A.’s Community Investment Department, largely couldn’t answer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

Also invited were Abigail Adams Smith and her husband, the daughter and son-in-law of John and Abigail Adams.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis