Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A woman attendant or servant.
  • noun Something that accompanies or is attendant on another.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A female servant or personal attendant; a female assistant: often used figuratively.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A maid that waits at hand; a female servant or attendant.
  • noun Something or someone serving in a subordinate position.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A maid that waits at hand; a female servant or attendant.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun in a subordinate position
  • noun a personal maid or female attendant

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

hand +‎ maid

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Examples

  • For, as _the Psalm saith_, that "the eye of the handmaid looketh perpetually towards the mistress," and yet, _no doubt, many things are left to the discretion of the handmaid_, to discern of the

    The Philosophy of the Plays of Shakspere Unfolded Delia Bacon 1835

  • Then she called the handmaid Marjanah hight and said to her,

    Arabian nights. English Anonymous 1855

  • Then she called her handmaid and said to her, ‘Go to Shajarat al-Durr and say to her, ‘Thy sister saluteth thee and biddeth thee to her; so favour her by coming to her this night, according to thy custom, for her breast is straitened. '

    Arabian nights. English Anonymous 1855

  • Richardson plays a "handmaid" - essentially a breeder in a world where most women are sterile - hired out to a privileged couple (Faye Dunaway and Robert Duvall) to conceive their child.

    Bright Lights After Dark 2009

  • Richardson plays a "handmaid" - essentially a breeder in a world where most women are sterile - hired out to a privileged couple (Faye Dunaway and Robert Duvall) to conceive their child.

    Bright Lights After Dark 2009

  • Prince of True Believers, my handmaid is worth more than this: do but prove her, and her value will be magnified in thine eyes; for this slave-girl hath not her equal, and she were unfit to any but thou.’

    The Book of The Thousand Nights And A Night 2006

  • Then she called the handmaid Marjanah hight and said to her, As thou lovest me, do my errand this day and be not neglectful therein!

    The Book of The Thousand Nights And A Night 2006

  • So she called a handmaid that was with her in her apartment by way of service, and said to her, Go to Ardashir, son of the Great King, and fear not.

    The Book of The Thousand Nights And A Night 2006

  • Now the tray-maker was fair of face and comely of form, and the wife of the master of the house saw him and fell in love with him and her heart inclined to him with exceeding inclination; so, her husband being absent, she called her handmaid and said to her, “Contrive to bring yonder man to us.”

    The Book of The Thousand Nights And A Night 2006

  • So she called a handmaid that was with her in her apartment by way of service, and said to her, "Go to Ardashir, son of the

    Arabian nights. English Anonymous 1855

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