housewife

Meanings

Noun

• A woman whose main employment is homemaking, maintaining the upkeep of her home and tending to household affairs; often, such a woman whose sole [unpaid] employment is homemaking.
• The wife of a householder; the mistress of a family; the female head of a household.
• A little case or bag for materials used in sewing, and for other articles of female work.

Verb

• Alternative of housewive

Origin

• From Middle English housewif, houswyf, huswijf, equivalent to house + wife. Replaced earlier Middle English hussif (Modern English hussy), which is a . Cognate literally with rare German Hausweib.