maid

[meyd]

noun

1. a female domestic employee who cleans tourist accommodations or does cleaning or other housework in a home.

   a hotel maid.

2. a female domestic servant with any of various duties, especially in a large house (often used in combination).

   a kitchen maid who assisted the cook; a handmaid; a lady’s maid; a nursery maid.

3. Archaic.,  a girl or young unmarried woman.

4. Archaic.,  a female virgin.

maid

/ meɪd /

noun

1. archaic,  a young unmarried girl; maiden

2. 1. a female servant

   2. ( in combination )

      a housemaid

3. a spinster

Other Word Forms

• maidish adjective
• maidishness noun
• submaid noun
• undermaid noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of maid¹

First recorded in 1225–1275; Middle English maide, maid, shortened variant of maiden

Word History and Origins

Origin of maid¹

C12: shortened form of _maiden

Example Sentences

Even if they don’t have robot maids, surely they automate as many tasks as possible, right?

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“One could hardly fashion a disguise for a scullery maid or a stowaway out of these elegant fabrics. But for my purposes, they ought to do quite well.”

Read more on Literature

Instead, two giant vats of porridge were brought out from the kitchen on wheeled carts and pushed ’round the hall by blank-faced kitchen maids, who stopped once at each table.

Read more on Literature

Finally she reached the bottommost floor, which was the domain of the cook, the scullery maids, and the laundresses.

Read more on Literature

Colored women served as maids, babysitters, servers, and seamstresses.

Read more on Literature

Related Words

• au pair 
• chambermaid 
• girl 
• housemaid