handmaiden

British  

/ ˈhændˌmeɪdən /

noun

1. a person or thing that serves a useful but subordinate purpose

   logic is the handmaid of philosophy

2. archaic a female servant or attendant

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Example Sentences

It’s right to hope for “Sinners” to rack up a few gold men, and wise to remember that disappointment is awards season’s sackcloth-clad handmaiden.

From Salon

Standing alongside the director of any given film are dozens of handmaidens willing the work into being: production and costume designers, score composers, casting directors and so on down the list of credits.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

Related Words

• au pair
• chambermaid
• girl
• housemaid