parlourmaid
parlourmaid — noun
1. In past times, a female household worker in a well-to-do home whose main jobs in
In past times, a female household worker in a well-to-do home whose main jobs included serving food at meals, welcoming visitors at the front door, and taking care of the main sitting room.
The Dowager Countess employed a parlourmaid to serve tea and answer the door for guests.
historical role: employed by wealthy households to serve and attend
In Victorian novels, a parlourmaid worked alongside a butler and a cook in country houses.
collocation: worked alongside a butler and a cook
Mei's great-grandmother began work as a parlourmaid at age fourteen in a London townhouse.
The parlourmaid polished the silver teapot each morning before the family came downstairs for breakfast.
By the 1930s, few wealthy families could afford to keep a parlourmaid on their staff.
- housemaid
a more general term for a female domestic servant; a parlourmaid was a housemaid with specific duties focused on the parlour and dining room
- chambermaid
specifically a maid who cleans bedrooms, whereas a parlourmaid served meals and answered the door
- maidservant
a more formal, general term for a female servant in a household
- master of the house
the male head of the household who employed servants
- mistress of the house
the lady of the house, who gave orders to the parlourmaid
用法筆記
Chiefly historical in British English; the role of a parlourmaid largely disappeared from private homes after the Second World War when domestic service became far less common.
常見錯誤
2. Chiefly a US term for a female cleaner at hotels, hospitals, and similar workpla
Chiefly a US term for a female cleaner at hotels, hospitals, and similar workplaces who tidies rooms and makes beds.
The hotel parlourmaid changed the sheets and restocked the bathroom supplies on the third floor.
workplace collocation: hotel parlourmaid
Dr. Okafor thanked the parlourmaid for keeping the hospital waiting area clean at night.
A parlourmaid at the Grand Hotel pushed her cart of fresh towels down the hall.
Mrs. Chen worked as a parlourmaid at the community hospital for twenty years.
- chambermaid
the more common term for a hotel maid who cleans guest rooms
- maid
a general, everyday term for a woman who cleans in a hotel, hospital, or institution
- cleaning lady
an informal term for a woman employed to clean in an institutional setting
用法筆記
Chiefly American English; in current usage, terms such as 'hotel maid' or 'chambermaid' are far more common. This sense is distinct from the British historical meaning — a US parlourmaid works in an institution, not a private home.