Definition

1. Noun:
   • A paid household servant: A person who is employed to perform various routine tasks and chores within a private home. This term refers to the individual providing the service.

Usage

• The term "domestic help" is a formal and polite way to refer to a person employed to assist with household duties. It is often used in official contexts, such as in employment contracts or legal discussions.
• It functions as a countable noun. You can refer to one person as "a domestic help" or multiple people as "domestic helps," though the plural is less common.
• It is typically used to describe the role or category of employment rather than as a direct form of address.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The family hired domestic help to manage the cleaning and cooking.
  • She has worked as domestic help for over ten years.
  • The agency provides qualified domestic help.

Advanced Usage

• "To employ domestic help": To hire someone for household work.
  • Many dual-income families find it necessary to employ domestic help.
• "Live-in domestic help": A servant who resides in the employer's home.
  • They have a live-in domestic help who takes care of the children.

Variants and Related Words

• Domestic worker (n): A more modern and commonly used synonym with the same meaning.
  • The rights of domestic workers are protected by new legislation.
• Household help (n): A very similar term, sometimes used interchangeably.
• Hired help (n): A broader term that can include domestic help but also other types of temporary or casual labor.

Synonyms

• Servant: A more traditional and general term for a person employed to perform domestic duties.
• Housekeeper: A person employed to manage the cleaning and upkeep of a house.
• Maid: A female domestic servant, though this term can be considered old-fashioned or less formal.

Related Phrases

• Domestic service (n): The sector or occupation of providing household work.
  • She has spent her career in domestic service.
• Domestic staff (n): Refers to a group of people employed in a household.
  • The estate employs a large domestic staff.

Noun

1. a servant who is paid to perform menial tasks around the household