barmaid

American  

[bahr-meyd] / ˈbɑrˌmeɪd /

noun

1. a woman who bartends; bartender.

---

barmaid British  

/ ˈbɑːˌmeɪd /

noun

1. a woman who serves in a pub

---

Etymology

Origin of barmaid

First recorded in 1650–60; bar ¹ + maid

Example Sentences

Lancashire, 60, who rose to fame as barmaid Raquel Wolstenhulme in Coronation Street, won two leading actress Baftas for playing no-nonsense Sergeant Catherine Cawood in the BBC series.

From BBC • Jul. 22, 2025

Amy Adams has played a princess and a nun, Lynne Cheney and Lois Lane, a barmaid, a blogger and a con artist.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 1, 2024

Glenda May Jackson was born on May 9, 1936, in Birkenhead, near Liverpool in northwest England, the eldest of four daughters of Harry, a bricklayer, and Joan, a house cleaner and barmaid.

From New York Times • Jun. 15, 2023

She — bold but perpetually insecure — becomes attracted to Sam, and the dynamics shift further as Sam regains control of his bar and demotes her to barmaid.

From Washington Post • Dec. 6, 2022

A barmaid from Hull Street came in to say she had been watching the Somerset at just the time Bentley and Richardson were rowing Paul Revere to Charlestown.

From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes