noun
Common
maid
mayd
Maid (noun) means a woman employed to clean a house or do domestic work. Example: “The hotel maid knocked to ask if the room needed cleaning.”
noun
1
A woman employed to clean a house or do domestic work.
"The hotel maid knocked to ask if the room needed cleaning."
"The maid changed the sheets and tidied the bedroom every morning."
"A maid from the big house carried the washing down to the stream."
2
(literary or old-fashioned) A young unmarried woman or girl.
"In the old tale, a maid waits by the tower window for her rescuer."
"The ballad tells of a fair maid who sang beside the river."
"The knight bowed to the young maid and asked for her name."
How to use maid
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMost commonly today, a household or hotel cleaner; the "young woman" meaning is now mainly literary.
Common pairings
hotel maid
lady's maid
maid service
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Word forms
- Plural
- maids
- Third person singular
- maids
- Past tense
- maided
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The hotel _____ knocked to ask if the room needed cleaning.
Etymology
A shortened form of Middle English "maiden", ultimately from Old English maegden, "girl".
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for maid
See all rhymes for maid →Frequently asked questions
What does “maid” mean?
The word “maid” means a woman employed to clean a house or do domestic work. In plain terms, most commonly today, a household or hotel cleaner; the "young woman" meaning is now mainly literary.
How do you pronounce “maid”?
“Maid” is pronounced mayd (/meɪd/ in IPA).
How do you use “maid” in a sentence?
Here is “maid” used in a sentence: “The hotel maid knocked to ask if the room needed cleaning.”
What part of speech is “maid”?
“Maid” is a noun.
Where does the word “maid” come from?
The word “maid” comes from Old English. A shortened form of Middle English "maiden", ultimately from Old English maegden, "girl".
Is “maid” a common word?
“Maid” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “maid” have?
“Maid” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a woman employed to clean a house or do domestic work.
What is the difference between a maid and a housekeeper?
A maid is a woman employed to clean a house or perform domestic work, often with tasks focused on cleaning and tidying. A housekeeper's role can be broader, sometimes including managing household staff, budgets, or other domestic operations in addition to cleaning.
Is maid used to describe a young unmarried woman?
Yes, in literary or old-fashioned usage, maid can describe a young unmarried woman or girl, separate from its more common modern meaning of a domestic worker. This sense is now largely confined to older texts, poetry, or archaic-sounding speech.
Is maid a formal job title?
Maid is a commonly used, fairly informal title for domestic cleaning staff, though it appears in job listings and household contexts as a standard term. More formal alternatives like housekeeper are sometimes preferred in professional settings.
