English Explanatory Dictionary

housewife

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A woman whose main employment is homemaking, maintaining the upkeep of her home and tending to household affairs; often, such a woman whose sole [unpaid] employment is homemaking.
  2. The wife of a householder; the mistress of a family; the female head of a household.
  3. A little case or bag for materials used in sewing, and for other articles of female work.
  4. A worthless woman; a hussy.
verb
  1. Alternative form of housewive.

Pronunciation

/ˈhaʊs.waɪf/ en-us-housewife.ogg /ˈhʌzwaɪf/ /ˈhʌz(w)ɪf/ /ˈhʌzɪf/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-housewife (bag).wav

Word forms

housewife housewives housewifes house-wife houswife huswife housewifing housewifed

Etymology

From Middle English houswyf, housewif, huswijf, equivalent to house + wife; a doublet of hussy, which it was long distinguished from and displaced due to gradual negative connotation (see Online Etymology Dictionary entry). Cognate with West Frisian húswiif, Dutch huiswijf, German Low German Huuswief, German Hausweib.

Synonyms

henhussy hussy

Derived words

boywife housewifedom housewifehood housewifeish housewifelike housewifely housewifery housewife's eczema housewifeship housewifey housewifish housewifization nonhousewife sailor's housewife you can't turn a hoe into a housewife
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