Standard Lemma guide

maidservant

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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈmeɪdˌsɜː.vənt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈmeɪdˌsɝ.vənt/

1

noun

Meaning 1

A female servant; a maid.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a female domestic

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: maid, housemaid, amah

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: domestic, domestic help, house servant

Narrower terms: chambermaid, fille de chambre, handmaid, handmaiden, lady's maid, parlormaid, parlourmaid

History

Etymology

From Middle English maide servant; equivalent to maid + servant.

Across languages

Translations

53 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Aramaic: ܡܫܡܫܢܝܬܐ — female servant, maid
  • Armenian: աղջիկ (aġǰik) — female servant, maid
  • Armenian: աղախին (aġaxin) — female servant, maid
  • Old Armenian: աղախին (ałaxin) — female servant, maid
  • Old Armenian: նաժիշտ (nažišt) — female servant, maid
  • Bengali: চাকরানী (cakrani) — female servant, maid
  • Bengali: দাসী (daśi) — female servant, maid
  • Chinese Mandarin: 女僕 /女仆 (nǚpú) — female servant, maid
  • Chinese Mandarin: 女傭 /女佣 (nǚyōng) — female servant, maid
  • Chinese Mandarin: 侍女 (shìnǚ) — female servant, maid
  • Finnish: palvelijatar — female servant, maid
  • Finnish: piika — female servant, maid
  • French: servante — female servant, maid
  • West-Frisian: faam — female servant, maid
  • German: Zugehfrau — female servant, maid
  • German: Mensch — female servant, maid
  • German: Mamsell — female servant, maid
  • German: Dienstmädchen — female servant, maid
  • German: Hausmädchen — female servant, maid
  • German: Thusnelda — female servant, maid
  • German: Minna — female servant, maid
  • German: Perle — female servant, maid
  • German: Filine — female servant, maid
  • German: Besen — female servant, maid
  • German: Magd — female servant, maid
  • Ancient Greek: θεράπαινα (therápaina) — female servant, maid
  • Hindi: दासी (dāsī) — female servant, maid
  • Hindi: नौकरानी (naukrānī) — female servant, maid
  • Hungarian: szolgálólány — female servant, maid
  • Hungarian: cselédlány — female servant, maid
  • Ingrian: gornicnoi — female servant, maid
  • Ingrian: piika — female servant, maid
  • Irish: banseirbhíseach — female servant, maid
  • Middle Irish: cailín — female servant, maid
  • Old Irish: banóclach — female servant, maid
  • Japanese: 仕え女 (tsukaeme) — female servant, maid
  • Korean: 하녀 (hanyeo) — female servant, maid
  • Latin: ancula — female servant, maid
  • Latin: famula — female servant, maid
  • Persian: کنیز (kaniz) — female servant, maid
  • Polish: służąca — female servant, maid
  • Polish: służka — female servant, maid
  • Portuguese: criada — female servant, maid
  • Portuguese: serviçal — female servant, maid
  • Russian: прислу́га (prislúga) — female servant, maid
  • Russian: служа́нка (služánka) — female servant, maid
  • Scottish Gaelic: ban-òglach — female servant, maid
  • Sicilian: criata — female servant, maid
  • Spanish: criada — female servant, maid
  • Spanish: moza — female servant, maid
  • Swedish: husa — female servant, maid
  • Tibetan: གཡོག་མོ (g.yog mo) — female servant, maid
  • Tocharian B: mañiya — female servant, maid
Real reading context

maidservant in complete knowledge articles