maid

• POS: Noun

CIDE DICTIONARY

maid, n. [Shortened from maiden. . See Maiden.].

•  An unmarried woman; usually, a young unmarried woman; esp., a girl; a virgin; a maiden.  [1913 Webster]

  "Would I had died a maid,
  And never seen thee, never borne thee son."  [1913 Webster]

  "Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet my people have forgotten me."  [1913 Webster]
•  A man who has not had sexual intercourse.  [1913 Webster]

  "Christ was a maid and shapen as a man."  [1913 Webster]
•  A female servant.  [1913 Webster]

  " Maid is used either adjectively or in composition, signifying female, as in maid child, maidservant."  [1913 Webster]

  "Spinning amongst her maids."  [1913 Webster]
•  The female of a ray or skate, esp. of the gray skate (Raia batis), and of the thornback (Raia clavata).  [1913 Webster]

Fair maid. (Zoöl.) See under Fair, a. -- Maid of honor, a female attendant of a queen or royal princess; -- usually of noble family, and having to perform only nominal or honorary duties. -- Old maid. See under Old.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

maid, n.
1 a female domestic servant.
2 archaic or poet. a girl or young woman.

Idiom

maid of honour
1 an unmarried lady attending a queen or princess.
2 a kind of small custard tart.
3 esp. US a principal bridesmaid.

Derivative

maidish adj.

Etymology

ME, abbr. of MAIDEN

THESAURUS

maid

abigail, amah, au pair girl, ayah, babe, baby, bachelor girl, betweenmaid, biddy, broad, chambermaid, chaperon, chick, colleen, companion, cook, cutie, daily, dame, damoiselle, damsel, demoiselle, doll, domestic, duenna, feme sole, femme de chambre, fille de chambre, filly, frail, gal, gentlewoman, girl, girlie, handmaid, handmaiden, heifer, hired girl, housemaid, hoyden, jeune fille, jill, junior miss, kitchenmaid, lady-help, lady-in-waiting, lass, lassie, little missy, live-in maid, live-out maid, lone woman, mademoiselle, maiden, maiden lady, maidservant, miss, missy, nursemaid, nymph, nymphet, old maid, parlormaid, piece, quail, romp, schoolgirl, schoolmaid, schoolmiss, scullery maid, servant girl, servitress, single girl, skirt, slip, soubrette, spinster, spinstress, subdeb, subdebutante, subteen, subteener, teenybopper, tomato, tomboy, tweeny, upstairs maid, vestal, vestal virgin, virgin, waiting maid, wench, young creature, young thing

ROGET THESAURUS

maid

Servant

N servant, subject, liegeman, servant, retainer, follower, henchman, servitor, domestic, menial, help, lady help, employe, attache, official, retinue, suite, cortege, staff, court, attendant, squire, usher, page, donzel, footboy, train bearer, cup bearer, waiter, lapster, butler, livery servant, lackey, footman, flunky, flunkey, valet, valet de chambre, equerry, groom, jockey, hostler, ostler, tiger, orderly, messenger, cad, gillie, herdsman, swineherd, barkeeper, bartender, bell boy, boots, boy, counterjumper, khansamah, khansaman, khitmutgar, yardman, bailiff, castellan, seneschal, chamberlain, major-domo, groom of the chambers, secretary, under secretary, assistant secretary, clerk, subsidiary, agent, subaltern, underling, understrapper, man, maid, maidservant, handmaid, confidente, lady's maid, abigail, soubrette, amah, biddy, nurse, bonne, ayah, nursemaid, nursery maid, house maid, parlor maid, waiting maid, chamber maid, kitchen maid, scullery maid, femme de chambre, femme fille, camarista, chef de cuisine, cordon bleu, cook, scullion, Cinderella, potwalloper, maid of all work, servant of all work, laundress, bedmaker, journeyman, charwoman, bearer, chokra, gyp (Cambridge), hamal, scout (Oxford), serf, vassal, slave, negro, helot, bondsman, bondswoman, bondslave, ame damnee, odalisque, ryot, adscriptus gleboe, villian, villein, beadsman, bedesman, sizar, pensioner, pensionary, client, dependant, dependent, hanger on, satellite, parasite, led captain, protege, ward, hireling, mercenary, puppet, tool, creature, badge of slavery, bonds, in the train of, in one's pay, in one's employ, at one's call, in bonds.

Infant

N infant, babe, baby, babe in arms, nurseling, suckling, yearling, weanling, papoose, bambino, kid, vagitus, child, bairn, little one, brat, chit, pickaninny, urchin, bantling, bratling, elf, youth, boy, lad, stripling, youngster, youngun, younker, callant, whipster, whippersnapper, whiffet, schoolboy, hobbledehoy, hopeful, cadet, minor, master, scion, sap, seedling, tendril, olive branch, nestling, chicken, larva, chrysalis, tadpole, whelp, cub, pullet, fry, callow, codlin, codling, foetus, calf, colt, pup, foal, kitten, lamb, lambkin, aurelia, caterpillar, cocoon, nymph, nympha, orphan, pupa, staddle, girl, lass, lassie, wench, miss, damsel, demoiselle, maid, maiden, virgin, hoyden, infantine, infantile, puerile, boyish, girlish, childish, babyish, kittenish, baby, newborn, unfledged, new-fledged, callow, in the cradle, in swaddling clothes, in long clothes, in arms, in leading strings, at the breast, in one's teens.

Celibacy

N celibacy, singleness, single blessedness, bachelorhood, bachelorship, misogamy, misogyny, virginity, pucelage, maidenhood, maidenhead, unmarried man, bachelor, Coelebs, agamist, old bachelor, misogamist, misogynist, monogamist, monk, unmarried woman, spinster, maid, maiden, virgin, feme sole, old maid, bachelor girl, girl-bachelor, nun, unmarried, unwed, unwedded, wifeless, spouseless, single.