# Bridget

/ˈbɹɪdʒət/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bridget
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. a person's name

noun · CEFR A1

a common female first name that comes from Ireland.

For teachers: a female given name, anglicized from the Irish name Brighid.

- Bridget decided to visit her family in Dublin for the holidays.
- The name Bridget has remained a staple of Irish nomenclature for centuries, though its popularity has fluctuated across different generations.

### 2. a servant

noun · CEFR C2 · American English · Archaic · Informal

an old, often rude word for an Irish woman who worked as a housemaid.

For teachers: a genericized and often derogatory term for an Irish female domestic servant. Used primarily in 19th-century North America.

- In old stories from the 1800s, the family's cook was often called a Bridget.
- Historical accounts of urban life in the 1850s frequently reference the 'Bridget' as a cultural archetype of the immigrant domestic worker.

Usage: Usually capitalized, though sometimes found in lowercase in older texts.

Teaching tip: This sense is archaic and carries a history of ethnic stereotyping; learners should only encounter it in historical literature.

## Examples

- The old bridget crossed the river.
- The poet described the stone bridget as a silent witness to history.
- In the archaic text, the crumbling bridget symbolised the fragile connection between the two warring kingdoms.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.