housewife en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˈhʌz(w)ɪf/ (dialectal, obsolete, poetic)
- /ˈhaʊs.waɪf/
- (US) audio
- /ˈhʌzwaɪf/ (dialectal, obsolete, poetic)
- /ˈhʌzɪf/
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.
Meanings
-
(qualifier:plural "housewives") 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.
2000, Uli Kusch, "Mr. Torture", Helloween, The Dark Ride Mr Torture sells pain / To the housewives in Spain / He knows just what they crave / Mr Torture
- (qualifier:plural "housewives") The wife of a householder; the mistress of a family; the female head of a household.
-
(qualifier:plural "housewifes") A little case or bag for materials used in sewing, and for other articles of female work.
Woffington's housewife, made by herself, homely to the eye, but holds everything in the world
1852, Tom Taylor, Charles Reade, Masks and Faces, act II:The "soldier's housewife" was a small sewing kit that was carried to make timely repairs to clothing and equipment.
1997, David L. Phillips, A Soldier's Story, MetroBooks, →ISBN, page 61:It was a housewife, containing needles, a bodkin, and thread; ‘and, do you know,’ added he, ‘it was the most useful thing she could have given me, for it lasted all the time I was at Rome to mend my clothes with […].’
1828, JT Smith, Nollekens and His Times, Century Hutchinson, published 1986, page 246:
- (obsolete, qualifier:plural "housewives") A worthless woman; a hussy.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| housewifes | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| huswife | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| house-wife | alternative, archaic | lexicographic | |
| houswife | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| housewives | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Coordinates
Deriveds
housewifeish · housewifery · housewifization · housewifish · housewifeship · housewifelike · housewifedom · housewifehood · housewife's eczema · housewifey · nonhousewife · boywife · sailor's housewife · you can't turn a hoe into a housewife · housewifely
Hypernyms
Synonyms
Translations (142)
fa-ira خانُمِ خانِه (female head of household) · la domiseda (female head of household) · nn husmor (female head of household) · crh ev bikesi (female head of household) · nl huisvrouw (female head of household) · is húsmóðir (female head of household) · fo matmóðir (female head of household) · ka დიასახლისი (female head of household) · el οικοδέσποινα (female head of household) · tt хуҗабикә (female head of household) · tg соҳибхоназан (female head of household) · nan-hbl 家庭主婦 /家庭主妇 (female head of household) · tr ev kadını (female head of household) · vo domaläd (female head of household) · fa-ira خانِهدار (female head of household) · cmn 家庭婦女 /家庭妇女 (female head of household) · tg зани хонадор (female head of household) · ba хужабикә (female head of household) · el νοικοκυρά (female head of household) · th แม่บ้าน (female head of household) · it massaia (female head of household) · de Hausfrau (female head of household) · ps ماتو (female head of household) · hy տնային տնտեսուհի (female head of household) · cmn 縫紉袋 /缝纫袋 (case for materials used in sewing) · ckb کابان (female head of household) · ky үй кожойкеси (female head of household) · pdt Husfru (female head of household) · ar رَبَّة مَنْزِل (female head of household) · hu háziasszony (female head of household) · cy gwraig y tŷ (female head of household) · et koduperenaine (female head of household) · kk үй шаруасындағы әйел (female head of household) · da husmor (female head of household) · sv husfru (female head of household) · mt mara tad-dar (female head of household) · fr mère au foyer (female head of household) · is húsmóðir (case for materials used in sewing) · ur گَھر والی (female head of household) · az evdar qadın (female head of household) · ug خوجايىن ئايال (female head of household) · hi घरनी (female head of household) · ms suri rumah (female head of household) · ru домохозя́йка (female head of household) · sq amvisë (female head of household) · fi kotirouva (female head of household) · be ха́тняя гаспады́ня (female head of household) · eo dommastrino (female head of household) · tr karı (female head of household) · hu varrókészlet (case for materials used in sewing) · tk öy bikesi (female head of household) · sh дома̀ћица (female head of household) · cmn 主婦 /主妇 (female head of household) · fr boîte à ouvrage (case for materials used in sewing) · sv husmor (female head of household) · yi באַלעבאָסטע (female head of household) · pl pani domu (female head of household) · nan-hbl 主婦 /主妇 (female head of household) · ca mestressa de casa (female head of household) · ar رَبَّة بَيْت (female head of household) · cy gwraig tŷ (female head of household) · fr femme au foyer (female head of household) · is húsfrú (female head of household) · id suri rumah (female head of household) · ko 주부 (female head of household) · gsw Huusfrau (female head of household) · sl gospodinja (female head of household) · sh domàćica (female head of household) · uz uy bekasi (female head of household) · tk öý hojalykçy (female head of household) · bg къ́щница (female head of household) · ja 主婦 (female head of household) · bg домаки́ня (female head of household) · hi गृहिणी (female head of household) · bn ঘরণী (female head of household) · my အိမ်ရှင်မ (female head of household) · lo ແມ່ເຮືອນ (female head of household) · cs hospodyňka (female head of household) · sh kȕćanica (female head of household) · ug ئائىلە ئايالى (female head of household) · ar رَبَّة أُسْرَة (female head of household) · vi bà nội trợ (female head of household) · fr maîtresse de maison (female head of household) · pt dona de casa (female head of household) · cmn 家庭主婦 /家庭主妇 (female head of household) · fo húsfrúgv (female head of household) · hi घरवाली (female head of household) · es ama de casa (female head of household) · hu varródoboz (case for materials used in sewing) · cs žena v domácnosti (female head of household) · pt caixa de costura (case for materials used in sewing) · kmr bermalî (female head of household) · sh ку̏ћаница (female head of household) · tg соҳибаи хона (female head of household) · mk дома́ќинка (female head of household) · fi perheenemäntä (female head of household) · bn গৃহবধূ (female head of household) · fa-ira کَدْبانو (female head of household) · fi käsityölaukku (case for materials used in sewing) · yue 家庭主婦 /家庭主妇 (female head of household) · fa-ira زَنِ خانِهدار (female head of household) · eu etxekoandre (female head of household) · ckt гыпиԓьын (female head of household) · pl gospodyni domowa (female head of household) · fi emäntä (female head of household) · lv mājsaimniece (female head of household) · fr garce (female head of household) · fr trousse de couture (case for materials used in sewing) · bn গৃহিণী (female head of household) · hy տանտիկին (female head of household) · tr ev hanımı (female head of household) · id ibu rumah tangga (female head of household) · es mujer de gobierno (disused) (female head of household) · ky үй ээси (female head of household) · it donna di casa (female head of household) · it casalinga (female head of household) · ro gospodină (female head of household) · eo domestrino (female head of household) · he עֲקֶרֶת בַּיִת (female head of household) · es mujer de su casa (female head of household) · nb husmor (female head of household) · ro casnică (female head of household) · yue 住家婆 (female head of household) · it padrona di casa (female head of household) · tk öý hojalykçy aýal (female head of household) · id kotak jahit (case for materials used in sewing) · cmn 針線包 /针线包 (case for materials used in sewing) · gd bean-taighe (female head of household) · uk домогоспода́рка (female head of household) · tl maybahay (female head of household) · km គេហសាមិនី (female head of household) · ga bean tí (female head of household) · sk gazdiná (female head of household) · mn гэрийн эзэгтэй (female head of household) · yue 主婦 /主妇 (female head of household) · km ស្រីមេផ្ទះ (female head of household) · nrf femme dé mênage (female head of household) · fo húsfrú (female head of household) · fi kotiäiti (female head of household) · lt šeimininkė (female head of household) · sv hemmafru (female head of household) · ug ئايال خوجايىن (female head of household)