housekeeper

[ hous-kee-per ]

/ ˈhaʊsˌki pər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR housekeeper ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person, often hired, who does or directs the domestic work and planning necessary for a home, as cleaning or buying food.

an employee of a hotel, hospital, etc., who supervises the cleaning staff.

Nearby words

Origin of housekeeper

First recorded in 1375–1425, housekeeper is from the late Middle English word houskeper. See house, keeper

Related formshouse·keep·er·like, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for housekeeper

She was once quoted as saying that she wanted to help all women who “are not wasting life being a housekeeper.”
Meet 'The Queen of Thieves' Marm Mandelbaum, New York City's First Mob Boss|J. North Conway|September 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When Hart and Cohle interviewed the old Tuttle housekeeper, she also remembered a scarred face.
How ‘True Detective’ Will End|Andrew Romano|March 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was Beethoven who once fired his housekeeper for telling a lie.
Japan’s Beloved Deaf Composer is Neither Deaf Nor a Composer|Jimmy So|February 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A housekeeper came out to buy some, wiping her hands on her apron.
Mexico City’s Magical Moment of Resurgence|Condé Nast Traveler|February 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST

And, while he was vetoing marriage equality, it turns out that he was carrying on with his housekeeper!
‘To Be Takei’ Traces George Takei’s Journey From Japanese Internment Camps to Cultural Icon|Marlow Stern|January 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Mops are impossible, and this is another subject on which the housekeeper can wax eloquent.
Guide to Hotel Housekeeping|Mary E. Palmer
“Penny, I just read your story in the paper,” the housekeeper scolded.
Clue of the Silken Ladder|Mildred A. Wirt
I occupied a room on the top landing, separated from my housekeeper's by a sepulchral-looking corridor.
Ghostly Phenomena|Elliot O'Donnell.
I explained the condition of my housekeeper, and proposed that we should dine at a restaurant.
The Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard|Anatole France
I can sympathize with you in your troubles, having been a housekeeper myself, and known disappointment in trusted servants.
George Eliot's Life, Vol. I (of 3)|George Eliot

British Dictionary definitions for housekeeper

housekeeper

/ (ˈhaʊsˌkiːpə) /

noun

a person, esp a woman, employed to run a household

bad housekeeper a person who is not an efficient and thrifty domestic manager

good housekeeper a person who is an efficient and thrifty domestic manager

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

Word Origin and History for housekeeper

housekeeper

mid-15c., "householder," from house (n.) + agent noun of keep (v.). Sense of "female head domestic servant of a house" is from c.1600.

housekeeper

noun

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of housekeeper

Examples from the Web for housekeeper

housekeeper

noun

housekeeper