parlormaid

American  

[pahr-ler-meyd] / ˈpɑr lərˌmeɪd /

noun

1. a maid who takes care of a parlor, answers the door, waits on guests, etc.

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Etymology

Origin of parlormaid

First recorded in 1830–40; parlor + maid

Example Sentences

Marsh played Rose Buck, the head parlormaid in the Bellamy home.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2025

Shakespeare uses it and my parlormaid uses it, and an idiom which Shakespeare and my parlormaid use is good enough for me.

From Time Magazine Archive

This year, the China Inland Mission, which once told the London parlormaid that she was unfit to be a missionary, bought her a round-trip ticket to England.

From Time Magazine Archive

Last to fall was the parlormaid, who shielded herself with the jewel-packed pillow, ran screaming back & forth.

From Time Magazine Archive

Finally, he married the parlormaid, and settled here in this town as a joiner.

From New, Old, and Forgotten Remedies: Papers by Many Writers by Anshutz, Edward Pollock