HOUSEWIFE • FREE-TRANSLATOR.COM • Definition of Housewife

Translators

Dictionaries

Courses

Other

Home

Add this Dictionary
to your website!
See more options...

/hˈaʊswˌaɪf/ Listen

noun

Housewife n.

The wife of a householder; the mistress of a family; the female head of a household. "He a good husband, a good housewife she."

A little case or bag for materials used in sewing, and for other articles of female work; called also hussy. (Written also huswife)

A hussy. (R.) (Usually written huswife)

Sailor's housewife, a ditty-bag.

verb

Housewive, Housewife v. t. To manage with skill and economy, as a housewife or other female manager; to economize. "Conferred those moneys on the nuns, which since they have well housewived."

See images of 'Housewife'

Etymology of 'Housewife'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

Share |

"Housewife" Quotes from Famous Books

... musk-ox they make also very good spoons much like ours in shape; and I must not omit to mention their marrow spoons (pattēkniuk, from pāttĕk, marrow), made out of long, narrow, hollowed pieces of bone, of which every housewife has a bunch of half a dozen or more tied together, and generally attached to ...

— Journal of the Third Voyage for the Discovery of a North-West Passage • William Edward Parry

... minutes would certainly bring them up with the bar, and five more fairly within the river. The question now arose, where the party was to be concealed during the stay of the savages. Dolly, as was perhaps natural for the housewife, wished to remain by her worldly goods, and pretty Margery had a strong feminine leaning to do the same. But neither of the men approved of the plan. It was risking too much in one spot; and a suggestion that the bee-hunter was not long in ...

— Oak Openings • James Fenimore Cooper

... to investigations and experiments into the questions of pure food, household economy and employments suited to woman, is now directed more than ever before to the uplifting of American homes and the assistance of the homemakers. These researches are at the call of every housewife. However, to save her the bewilderment of selection from so many useful suggestions, and the digesting of voluminous directions, the fundamental principles of food and household economy as published by the government departments, are here presented, ...

— Practical Suggestions for Mother and Housewife • Marion Mills Miller

... smelt of soiled linen and defective plumbing. Also, into its single narrow window rose the dust of ashes, of old rags and other refuse thrown light-heartedly into the back yard, which not being visible from the street supplied the typical housewife of a frontier town with that relaxation from any necessity to keep up an appearance of economy and cleanliness so desirable to her liberty-loving soul. The housekeeper at The Aura was not Mrs. Hudson, ...

— Hidden Creek • Katharine Newlin Burt

... women stood clacking the news just as though it were a week-day and the boats had brought in a famous haul. Feminine gossip in Polpier is not conducted in groups, as the men conduct theirs on the Quay. By tradition each housewife takes post on her own threshold-slate, and knits while she talks with her neighbours to right and left and across the road; thus a bit of news, with comment and embellishment zigzags from door to door through the town like a postal delivery. To-day being Sunday, the women had no knitting; ...

— Nicky-Nan, Reservist • Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch (Q)

More quotes...