noun
amah
Amah (noun) means a woman whose job is looking after children, or, in the past, one who breastfed another family's baby.
noun
1
A woman whose job is looking after children, or, in the past, one who breastfed another family's baby.
2
A woman who works as a household servant.
"Then one day he disappeared and when Luke called apprehensively at his apartment the old amah told him that ‘Whisky Papa runrun London fastee.’"
— John Le Carré, The Honourable Schoolboy (1977)
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Etymology
From Portuguese ama (“female nurse”), from Medieval Latin amma (“wet nurse, amma”), perhaps an alteration of Latin mamma, of imitative origin, or from Ancient Greek.
Synonyms
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Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of amah?
"amah" (noun) means a woman whose job is looking after children, or, in the past, one who breastfed another family's baby.
What is another word for amah?
Other words for "amah" include wetnurse, maid, housemaid, maidservant.
What are the different meanings of amah?
"amah" has 2 main meanings: 1. A woman whose job is looking after children, or, in the past, one who breastfed another family's baby; 2. A woman who works as a household servant.