Definition

Noun: A woman employed to care for and supervise young children, typically in a private household. Her duties often involve attending to the children's daily needs, such as feeding, dressing, and playing with them, under the direction of the parents.

Usage

The word "nursemaid" refers specifically to a female caregiver for children. It is a somewhat dated or formal term, often associated with historical or affluent domestic settings. It implies a role of direct, hands-on childcare.

Examples

• In the 19th-century novel, the wealthy family employed a nursemaid to look after their three young children.
• The toddler was so attached to his nursemaid that he cried whenever she left the room.
• Her first job after leaving school was as a nursemaid for a doctor's family.

Advanced Usage

• "to nursemaid" (verb, informal): To care for or attend to someone with excessive attention, as if they were a child.
  • The manager had to nursemaid the new client through every step of the simple process.
• The term can sometimes carry a connotation of subservience or a role within a strict domestic hierarchy, unlike the more modern and professional "nanny."

Variants and Related Words

• Nanny: A more common contemporary term for a person, often professionally trained, employed to care for children in their own home.
• Au pair: A young foreign person, typically a woman, who helps with housework and childcare in exchange for room, board, and a stipend.
• Childminder: A person who looks after children in their own home, often caring for multiple children from different families.
• Governness: A woman employed to teach and train children in a private household, a role that historically combined education with supervision.

Synonyms

• Nanny
• Childcare worker
• Babysitter (though this often implies temporary or occasional care)
• Governess (with an emphasis on education)

Antonyms

• Ward (a person, especially a child, placed under the protection of a guardian)
• Charge (a person entrusted to another's care)

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "Wet nurse": A historical term for a woman employed to breastfeed and care for another woman's infant. This is a distinct, more specific role than a nursemaid.
• While not a direct idiom, the concept is related to phrases like "in someone's care" or "left in the charge of."
  • The children were left in the nursemaid's charge for the afternoon.

Noun

1. a woman who is the custodian of children