femme de chambre

A femme de chambre arranges fresh towels in a hotel room.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A female servant in a hotel or private household: "femme de chambre" refers to a woman employed to clean and maintain guest rooms or private chambers, especially in a hotel or a wealthy household. This term is borrowed from French and is often used in historical or formal contexts.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The hotel's femme de chambre tidied the room and changed the linens every morning. (A female servant responsible for cleaning guest rooms.)
  • In the 19th century, a wealthy family would employ a femme de chambre to attend to the personal quarters. (A female servant in a private household.)

Advanced Usage

• "Femme de chambre" in literature: This term often appears in historical novels or descriptions of European aristocracy to denote a specific rank of maid.
  • The countess called for her femme de chambre to help her dress for the ball. (A personal maid attending to the lady of the house.)

Variants and Related Words

• Chambermaid (n): the English equivalent of "femme de chambre," referring to a maid who cleans bedrooms.
  • The chambermaid left fresh towels in the bathroom. (A female servant cleaning hotel rooms.)
• Maid (n): a general term for a female domestic servant.
  • The maid dusted the furniture in the living room. (A female servant performing household chores.)

Synonyms

• Chambermaid: a female servant who cleans bedrooms.
• Housemaid: a female servant employed to do housework.
• Maid: a female domestic servant.

Related Idioms