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
Explanation
It's an old-fashioned word now, but a handmaiden was once a servant who worked for a wealthy family. You might feel like a handmaiden when your parents tell you to scrub every bathroom in the house. Long ago, a handmaiden (also called a handmaid) often served as the personal servant or maid to the lady of the house. You're much more likely to encounter this word in a book or movie these days, since someone employed in a home is more likely to be called an assistant, a housekeeper, or a cleaner. The term handmaiden comes from the sense of being "close at hand."
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.
Ms. Horn takes trouble to depict Kay as an individual rather than a handmaiden.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026
Their eviction was streamed live on TikTok as Offeh and "handmaiden" Kaura Taylor, from Texas, were handcuffed by immigration officers.
From BBC ● Apr. 23, 2026
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 ● Mar. 13, 2026
For more than three decades after its creation in 1913, the Fed was largely a handmaiden of the U.S.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2025
Nanna gave him a linen robe for Frigg and a golden ring for Fulla, Frigg’s handmaiden.
From "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
