Adjacent Words

Housewife definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

HOUSEWIFE, n. hous'wife. [house and wife; contracted into huswife,hussy.] The mistress of a family.
1. A female economist; a good manager.
2. One skilled in female business.
3. A little case or bag for articles of female work.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a wife who manages a household while her husband earns the family income [syn: housewife, homemaker, lady of the house, woman of the house]

Merriam Webster's

noun (plural housewives) Date: 13th century 1. a married woman in charge of a household 2. a pocket-size container for small articles (as thread) • housewifeliness noun • housewifely adjective • housewifery noun • housewifey adjective

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. (pl. -wives) 1 a woman (usu. married) managing a household. 2 a case for needles, thread, etc. Derivatives: housewifely adj. housewifeliness n. Etymology: ME hus(e)wif f. HOUSE + WIFE

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Housewife House"wife`, n. [House + wife. Cf. Hussy.] 1. The wife of a householder; the mistress of a family; the female head of a household. --Shak. He a good husband, a good housewife she. --Dryden. 2. (Usually pronounced ?.) [See Hussy, in this sense.] A little case or bag for materials used in sewing, and for other articles of female work; -- called also hussy. [Written also huswife.] --P. Skelton. 3. A hussy. [R.] [Usually written huswife.] --Shak. Sailor's housewife, a ditty-bag.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Housewife House"wife`, Housewive House"wive`, v. t. To manage with skill and economy, as a housewife or other female manager; to economize. Conferred those moneys on the nuns, which since they have well housewived. --Fuller.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Huswife Hus"wife, n. [OE. huswif; hus house + wif wife. Cf. Hussy a housewife, Housewife.] [Written also housewife.] 1. A female housekeeper; a woman who manages domestic affairs; a thirfty woman. ``The bounteous huswife Nature.'' --Shak. The huswife is she that do labor doth fall. --Tusser. 2. A worthless woman; a hussy. [Obs.] --Shak. 3. [See Hussy a bag.] A case for sewing materials. See Housewife. --Cowper.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(housewives) A housewife is a married woman who does not have a paid job, but instead looks after her home and children. N-COUNT

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Mistress of a family, goodwoman. 2. Huswife, female economist, thrifty woman.