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housemaid

American  
[hous-meyd] / ˈhaʊsˌmeɪd /

noun

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

housemaid British  
/ ˈhaʊsˌmeɪd /

noun

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

"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

Other Word Forms

  • underhousemaid noun

Etymology

Origin of housemaid

First recorded in 1685–95; house + maid

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.

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

The letter was one of several found addressed to Beatrice Stillman, the former head housemaid at Royal Lodge.

From BBC • Feb. 18, 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

She works as a housemaid in downtown and uses public transport daily.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 13, 2023

“Is Mr. Laurence in?” asked Jo, of a housemaid, who was coming downstairs.

From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott

Definitions 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.