servant girl

Thân thiện

A servant girl carries a tray of tea into the drawing room.

Definition

Noun: A female domestic worker, typically young, who is employed to perform household tasks such as cleaning, cooking, and running errands within a household.

Usage

The term "servant girl" specifically refers to a young female in a domestic service role. It is a compound noun where "servant" indicates the occupation and "girl" specifies the age and gender. It is often used in historical or literary contexts.

Examples

• In the 19th-century novel, the servant girl rose before dawn to light the fires.
• The wealthy family employed a servant girl to help with the daily chores.
• She worked as a servant girl in the manor house.

Advanced Usage

• The term can carry connotations of social class, historical settings, and sometimes vulnerability due to the power dynamics inherent in domestic service.
• In modern usage, the term is largely historical or literary, as contemporary roles are more likely described as "domestic worker," "housekeeper," or "cleaner," without the age-specific "girl."

Variants and Related Words

• Maidservant (n): A more formal or historical synonym for a female servant.
• Housemaid (n): A female servant employed to clean and maintain a house.
• Scullery maid (n): A young female servant, historically, assigned to the most menial kitchen tasks.
• Domestic (n): A formal term for a household servant.

Synonyms

• Maid
• Housemaid
• Maidservant
• Domestic help

Antonyms

• Employer
• Mistress (of the house)
• Master (of the house)

Related Phrases

• In service: A historical phrase meaning employed as a domestic servant.
  • She went into service at the age of fourteen.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a girl who is a servant

Từ đồng nghĩa

• serving girl