handmaiden
Britishnoun
-
a person or thing that serves a useful but subordinate purpose
logic is the handmaid of philosophy
-
archaic a female servant or attendant
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
From the journals Metcalfe has surmised that Vivien, herself a brilliant literary scholar and teacher, had willfully lived out her marriage under Blundy’s shadow, the dutiful handmaiden to a literary eminence.
From Los Angeles Times
For more than three decades after its creation in 1913, the Fed was largely a handmaiden of the U.S.
From Los Angeles Times
Across the room, facing Helen, her handmaiden and Paris — and a despondent-looking dog — is Cassandra, who could see the future, along with Apollo, who had cursed her so her prophecies would not be believed.
From New York Times
She's long been the best friend of his daughter along with being one of the princess's handmaidens.
From Salon
“And they’re going to make it hard for you to refuse to watch their performance because all their media handmaidens have signed on to provide live coverage,” Mr. Goodwin noted.
From Washington Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
