handmaid
1
7.9
- noun
- /ˈhændˌmeɪd/
- Archaic
:
sierva
- They have their own destiny, and our job as handmaids is to help these ideas burst out of their marble block.
In the Middle Ages she was the handmaid of theology.
- In the Middle Ages she was the handmaid of theology.
- When Mark Twain said hunger is the handmaid of genius, likely he was wrong.
- And it's going to be hard because in some ways that nervous activity and that do do doing is what keeps people who are handmaids sane.
Examples
-
Since God's constant laws can be discovered and studied by science, and since divine omnipotence lies best exposed in these regularities, God's glory can be apprehended empirically, thus making the study of nature a handmaid to religion, and not at all an adversary.
Academic text (1995) -
Instead, by casting his philosophy in the role of a handmaid, he made him a slave or servant of that city.
Academic text (1997) -
In the Middle Ages she was the handmaid of theology.
-
At least, not most servants, which means you are a handmaid to the princess.
-
Theology has traditionally turned to philosophy as a handmaid, as a resource that can provide theological claims with firmer ground.
Academic text (1998) -
You see, lad, Mungli is no less a person than chief handmaid to her Serene and Gloriously Flowering Highness, Queen Artemisia.
Fiction book (1993) -
It inspires, saddens, cheers, and soothes the soul, and performs its loftiest homage as the handmaid of religion.
Academic text (1993) -
Its editors sought to equate America's occupation of the Philippines with Britain's war against the Boers in South Africa, characterizing imperialism in general as "the handmaid of monopoly."
Academic text (1992) -
As the handmaid to the queen, she was responsible for assisting in all her daily tasks.
-
The artist viewed his sketches as a handmaid to his larger paintings, providing support and inspiration.
Synonyms
264
1.0
A woman paid to clean and cook in another person's home
165
1.0
A person who helps a larger group or leader by doing needed work
110
1.1
A person who manages household chores and keeps the home clean
12
5.3
A woman who cares for young children in a private home
11
5.3
A hotel worker who cleans and tidies guest bedrooms
8
2.4
A woman paid to clean and do other jobs in a home
7
3.5
A young woman who works in a house to help with chores
4
7.7
A person or thing that helps and supports something more important
3
8.6
A woman who works as a servant to help another woman get dressed and look tidy
3
7.1
A woman who works in a home doing cleaning and cooking
1
2.3
A person who works in a home doing cleaning, cooking and other daily tasks
1
5.1
A girl or young woman who works in a home doing chores
1
9.4
A person who helps someone dress and bathe every day
1
9.9
A woman who works in a home cleaning and serving guests in the front rooms
A woman servant who takes care of the wine and plates in a large house
Antonyms
How Subordinate
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Handmaid comes from the same idea of hand + maid — a 'helper at hand' who supports someone. That's why the word is also used for anything that serves or helps another thing, for example calling education the handmaid of progress when it supports growth.