Pronunciation

/meɪd/

Definitions

• Noun: A female domestic servant or cleaner who works in a house or hotel. For example: “The maid was busy dusting the furniture.”

  • As a historical term: A young unmarried woman or a virgin; often used in compound terms like “maid of honor” (a bridesmaid) or “handmaid” (a female servant).

  Example Sentence (noun): “The maid arrived early in the morning to begin her daily chores around the mansion.”

• Verb (archaic or dialectal): To serve as a maid or to clean and maintain a place. For example: “She was maiding the rooms before the guests arrived.”

Phrases

• “Maid service”: A professional cleaning service provided by an individual or company.
• “A maiden voyage”: The first journey made by a ship, aircraft, or spacecraft after it has been built or newly launched, not referring to a maid but to the sense of ‘untried’ or ‘new’.

Example Sentences

• Noun: “The hotel maid cleaned and refreshed the room every day.”
• Verb (archaic): “In earlier times, young women were expected to maid for wealthy families until they married.”

Synonyms

• Housekeeper
• Domestic helper
• Servant
• Cleaning lady
• Attendant

Note that the term “maid” when used as a verb is quite rare in contemporary English and may be considered archaic or regional. Its noun form is much more common. In some cases, especially in idiomatic expressions or titles (like ‘maid of honor’), its meaning can be very specific and different from the general definition of a domestic worker.