lady-in-waiting

[ ley-dee-in-wey-ting ]

noun

, plural la·dies-in-wait·ing.

1. a lady who is in attendance upon a queen or princess.
2. Facetious. a woman who is pregnant:

   flattering fashions for the lady-in-waiting.

lady-in-waiting

noun

1. a lady of a royal household who attends a queen or princess

Word History and Origins

Origin of lady-in-waiting¹

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

And the Princess’s new lady-in-waiting, Lady Clementine Cumberbatch, didn’t know where anything was.

From Literature

She once gave an expensive watch to a lady-in-waiting who’d been late to an engagement — a not-so-subtle hint to be on time.

From Los Angeles Times

The book, which was written by Murasaki Shikibu, a lady-in-waiting in the emperor’s court, continuously centers female perspectives while ostensibly chronicling the escapades of a male hero.

From New York Times

The locals assume Elinor had been a lady-in-waiting, but she paid for this honor with her blood and courage during both world wars.

From Washington Post

So, when Lady Susan Hussey, the late Queen Elizabeth II’s lady-in-waiting, asked a Black Englishwoman where she really came from, the query surely would cause discomfort, and it did.

From Washington Post