ENGLISH
REFERENCE

maid

n.
US //ˈmeɪd// UK //mˈeɪd// maid
  1. 1 domestic worker (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a person, usually a woman, whose job is to clean and tidy rooms in a house or a hotel.

    a female domestic servant or a person employed to perform cleaning and maintenance tasks in a private residence or hospitality setting.

    Example

    The hotel maid brought fresh towels to our room every morning.

    Example

    The wealthy family employed a full-time maid to manage the daily upkeep of their sprawling country estate.

  2. 2 young woman (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Literary Archaic

    a young woman who is not married.

    a girl or an unmarried young woman; often used in historical or poetic contexts.

    Example

    The old story tells of a fair maid who lived in a tower.

    Example

    In the ballad, the young maid waited by the shore for her lover's ship to return from the distant wars.

Origin

From Middle English mayde, maide, abbreviation of Middle English maiden from Old English mæġden (Old English mǣden). Ultimately from Proto-West Germanic magaþ, from Proto-Germanic magaþs (“girl, virgin”).

Word family

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