handmaid

American  

[hand-meyd] / ˈhændˌmeɪd /

Also handmaiden

noun

1. something that is necessarily subservient or subordinate to another.

   Ceremony is but the handmaid of worship.

2. a female servant or attendant.

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Etymology

Origin of handmaid

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at hand, maid

Explanation

Handmaid is an old fashioned word for a housekeeper or servant. Wealthy people living in grand houses once employed handmaids to clean for and serve them. You're most likely to come across the word handmaid in a book these days, since in-house "help" is more likely to be called a "cleaner," "housekeeper," or, rarely, a "maid." Years ago, handmaids were employed to work closely with their employers, sometimes as "ladies-in-waiting," assistants to queens and other royals. The term comes from maid, "young woman," and the "close-at-hand" sense of hand.

Example Sentences

She is the handmaid in “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

But there are also hints that many have no idea that the handmaid system exists.

From Slate • Jun. 19, 2021

The Washington Post also was first to report that Barrett was listed as a handmaid, or female leader, in a 2010 directory.

From The Guardian • Oct. 14, 2020

Until recently, the group used the term “handmaids” to refer to female leaders, inspired by a biblical reference to Mary, the mother of Jesus, as “the handmaid of the Lord.”

From New York Times • Oct. 8, 2020

Her handmaid Irri and the young archers of her khas were fluid as Centaurs, but Viserys still struggled with the short stirrups and the flat saddle.

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin