noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˌleɪdɪ ɪn ˈweɪtɪŋ/
General-American:/ˌleɪdi ɪn ˈweɪtɪŋ/
General-American:[-ɾɪŋ]
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -eɪtɪŋ
1
noun
Meaning 1
A lady, often a noblewoman, in the household of a queen, princess, or other woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant, generally a role considered an honour.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: court lady
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
a lady appointed to attend to a queen or princess
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: Lady, noblewoman, peeress
History
Etymology
From lady + in + waiting (“attendance, service”). (Waiting in the sense of a waiter, not passing time.)
Across languages
Translations
57 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Breton:
plac'h-enor
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Breton:
dimezell a enor
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Breton:
dimezell a heul
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Bulgarian:
придворна дама
(pridvorna dama)
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Catalan:
dama de companyia
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Chinese Mandarin:
宮官 /宫官
(gōngguān)
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Chinese Mandarin:
宮女 /宫女
(gōngnǚ)
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Chinese Mandarin:
女官
(nǚguān)
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Chinese Mandarin:
侍女
(shìnǚ)
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Chinese Mandarin:
女侍臣
(nǚshìchén)
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Chinese Mandarin:
采女
(cǎinǚ)
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Czech:
dvorní dáma
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Danish:
hofdame
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Dutch:
hofdame
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Estonian:
õuedaam
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Estonian:
õukonnadaam
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Estonian:
hoovidaam
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Finnish:
kamarineiti
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Finnish:
kamarineito
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Finnish:
hovinainen
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
French:
dame de compagnie
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
French:
dame d'attendre
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
French:
dame d'honneur
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
French:
suivante
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Georgian:
ფრეილინა
(preilina)
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
German:
Hofdame
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
German:
Ehrendame
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
German:
Palastdame
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Hungarian:
udvarhölgy
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Irish:
bean choimhdeachta
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Italian:
dama di compagnia
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Japanese:
女官
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Japanese:
采女
(uneme)
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Khmer:
ស្រីស្នំ
(srəy snɑm)
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Lithuanian:
hofdama
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Norwegian Bokmål:
hoffdame
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Norwegian Nynorsk:
hoffdame
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Persian:
ندیمه
(nadime)
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Polish:
dama dworu
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Portuguese:
dama de companhia
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Portuguese:
aia
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Romanian:
doamnă de onoare
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Russian:
фре́йлина
(fréjlina)
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Russian:
придворная дама
(pridvornaja dama)
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Slovak:
dvorná dáma
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Spanish:
dama de compañía
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Swedish:
hovdam
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Tagalog:
dáma
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Thai:
นางสนองพระโอษฐ์
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Turkish:
nedime
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Ukrainian:
фре́йліна
(fréjlina)
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Vietnamese:
cung quan
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Vietnamese:
nữ quan
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Vietnamese:
sĩ nữ
— lady in the household of a woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant
Finnish:
kamarineiti
— woman who is a maid or servant to a lady
French:
suivante
— woman who is a maid or servant to a lady
Japanese:
侍女
(jijo)
— woman who is a maid or servant to a lady
