Handmaiden

This article is about the historic type of domestic servant. For other uses, see Handmaiden (disambiguation).
The Annunciation by Murillo, 1655–1660, Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg

A handmaiden (nowadays less commonly handmaid or maidservant) is a personal maid or female servant.[1] (The term is also used metaphorically for something whose primary role is to serve or assist.)[1] Depending on culture or historical period, a handmaiden may be of enslaved status or may be simply an employee. The terms handmaiden and handmaid are synonyms.[1]

  1. ^ a b c "Handmaiden - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary". Merriam-webster.com. 2012-08-31. Retrieved 2013-09-17.