housemaid

American  

[hous-meyd] / ˈhaʊsˌmeɪd /

noun

1. a female servant employed in general domestic work in a home, especially to do housework.

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housemaid British  

/ ˈhaʊsˌmeɪd /

noun

1. a girl or woman employed to do housework, esp one who is resident in the household

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Other Word Forms

• underhousemaid noun

Etymology

Origin of housemaid

First recorded in 1685–95; house + maid

Example Sentences

Worse yet, hours after Felix’s departure, the Platters’ housemaid came down with the plague.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

Bids of up to £4,000 had been expected for the one-page note, which is addressed to the head housemaid at Royal Lodge in Windsor and includes drawings of dogs, horses and children.

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

A red flag for sure, but it’s not long before Nina is practically loading a harpoon gun with red flags and firing them at her new housemaid, left and right.

From Salon • Jan. 31, 2026

Her father was a printer’s assistant and her mother worked as a housemaid, giving her the insights she needed to write “Upstairs, Downstairs.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2025

I have not, as a matter of fact, though I must say it rather amused me to remember that exasperating housemaid - who in the end turned out to be one of our most devoted.

From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro

Related Words

• caretaker
• chambermaid
• housewife
• maid
• servant