bridesmaid

[ brahydz-meyd ]

/ ˈbraɪdzˌmeɪd /

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noun

a young woman who attends the bride at a wedding ceremony.

Informal. a person, group, etc., that is in a secondary position, never quite attains a goal, etc.: Bridesmaids for 12 seasons, the Eagles finally won the championship.

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Origin of bridesmaid

First recorded in 1545–55; bride¹ + 's¹ + maid

Words nearby bridesmaid

Bridalveil, bridal wreath, bride, bridegroom, bride price, bridesmaid, bridewell, Bridey, bridezilla, bridge, bridgeboard

How to use bridesmaid in a sentence

I’ll see one of my own bridesmaids for the first time in more than a year.
2021 Could Be the Biggest Wedding Year Ever. But Are Guests Ready to Gather?|Eliana Dockterman|May 29, 2021|Time
Even brides who want to dress their bridesmaids alike run into trouble if they allow those ladies no choice.
Miss Manners: Declining help from the unmasked|Judith Martin, Nicholas Martin, Jacobina Martin|February 8, 2021|Washington Post
I was a bridesmaid this summer for a couple that met at The Ball in 2011.
The Craziest Date Night for Single Jews, Where Mistletoe Is Ditched for Shots|Emily Shire|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She canceled bridesmaid dress shopping and wedding cake tasting with her best friend.
Jeopardy! Champion Julia Collins’s Brain Feels Like Mush|Sujay Kumar|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST

And Pippa Middleton's bridesmaid dress was meant to be "insignificant."
Beyonce Named Most Powerful Celebrity; Kanye West is Back at A.P.C.|The Fashion Beast Team|July 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The charges against the groom as well as against a bridesmaid were dropped.
Anthony Weiner Has Some Competition|Michael Daly|August 4, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Ron Paul, Bridesmaid Ron Paul was supposed to finally win a state last night.
Super Tuesday Surprises: Catholics for Romney, Women for Santorum, and More|Ben Jacobs|March 7, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The first bridesmaid then removes the left hand glove, and it is not resumed.
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness|Florence Hartley
The smoking, roaring engine carried a large bouquet of roses on its breastplate, like a bridesmaid at some leviathan wedding.
The Nabob|Alphonse Daudet
I gave my little aid, and I am sure I have a right to be bridesmaid, as I am to be.
The Heir of Redclyffe|Charlotte M. Yonge
Kattie Forrester meant to bring down a sister with her as a bridesmaid.
An Old Man's Love|Anthony Trollope
When I opened the door, there was my husband holding a bouquet of roses big enough for a bridesmaid.
Paris Vistas|Helen Davenport Gibbons

British Dictionary definitions for bridesmaid

bridesmaid

/ (ˈbraɪdzˌmeɪd) /

noun

a girl or young unmarried woman who attends a bride at her weddingCompare matron of honour, maid of honour

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012