lady-in-waiting
- noun
- /ˈleɪdi ɪn ˈweɪtɪŋ/
- The queen's lady-in-waiting arranged her schedule and helped her prepare for the public event.
Examples
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And my daughter, Catherine, became one of Elizabeth's ladies- in- waiting.
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My lady-in-waiting will accompany you.
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Were you not a lady-in-waiting to my mother?
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A lady-in-waiting will be waiting for me.
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Left his calling card with your lady-in-waiting?
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Your new lady-in-waiting and her sister Anne.
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From tomorrow, she would be one of the ladies-in-waiting.
Fiction book (1993) -
The queen or her chief lady-in-waiting.
Fiction book (1993) -
The lady-in-waiting to my grandmother?
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These are your ladies-in-waiting.
How Close
Surface Forms
Morphology
lady-in-waiting = lady + waiting (semi-transparent) = in + lady + waiting
The components 'lady' + 'in waiting' are recognizable, but 'in waiting' as a conventional court appointment may be unfamiliar to learners so the occupational meaning is not fully predictable. [Postprocessing: moved 'in' from base_words to prefix]
Etymology
The word lady-in-waiting joins lady meaning 'a noble woman' and in waiting meaning 'waiting on' or 'attending' someone. So a lady-in-waiting is a woman who stays near a queen or princess to help and serve her.