Maid-of-all-work
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Part of speech noun
Quick meaning: Maid-of-all-work is a noun meaning A female servant employed to do general housework.
Meaning
A female servant employed to do general housework.
More Meanings
- (by extension, humorous) Any person who does a wide range of jobs in a supportive role; a thing that serves a wide range of purposes.
Example Sentences
The German told us he had been three years in Afghanistan and six months in Mazar, where he acts as maid-of-all-work for bridges, canals, roads, and building in general.
[…] it is difficult to define with clearness the exact duties of the maid-of-all-work. She understands that she is to do cooking, waiting, and chamber-work, and probably washing and ironing.
The 12th class engines, introduced by Mr. Gray in 1926, and all built by the North British Locomotive Co. Ltd., forms the largest class on the line and can best be described as "maids of all work".
Sir GEORGE CAVE is the Ministerial maid-of-all-work. Whenever there is a disagreeable or awkward measure to introduce it falls to the Quite-at-Home Secretary, if I may borrow an expression coined by my friend, TOBY, M.P., for one of Sir GEORGE’S predecessors.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include domestic, housewoman, bondmaid, maiden, house maid, undermaid.
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Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
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