bonne

1 9.9

A woman who looks after children and helps with housework

noun
/bɒn/

Archaic

: niñera

The children loved their bonne, who always had fun stories to tell after school.

Examples

I was flattered to think he thought I was a bonne femme (a French woman who knew her cuisine).

Blog text (27)
Like the bonne in the later picture, moreover, he is a sign of class difference, brought into contiguity with the central action to make that difference clear.

Academic text (1994)
Annamay was a good maid, a bonne bonne.

Fiction book (1997)
Annamay was a good maid, a bonne bonne.

Fiction book (1997)
After hiring a bonne, the family felt relieved to have someone to help with the kids.
Many parents prefer to have a bonne who can cook and care for the children simultaneously.

Synonyms

nanny

vsbonne

603 1.0

A woman who looks after children in a family's home

is the household servant sense emphasizing service within the family's home

sitter

vsbonne

70 1.6

A person who looks after children at home while their parents are out

is a household servant position often ongoing rather than short term

nursemaid

vsbonne

Archaic

12 5.3

A woman who cares for young children in a private home

is the household servant idea that often includes child care duties

baby-sitter

vsbonne

9 1.2

A person parents pay to look after children when they are away

is a resident in the household who serves as domestic child carer

nannie

vsbonne

1 1.1

A woman who is paid to care for children in a home

is the domestic servant role focused on child care in a home

Compounds

bonne bouche

9.9

A small very tasty piece of food served before the main meal

Surface Forms

bonne singular

bonnes plural

Etymology

The word bonne comes from the French word bonne, which meant 'good woman' and goes back to Latin bonus 'good'. Families often called a helpful maid a 'good woman', so bonne came to mean a female servant who looks after children.