housewife

From Middle English housewif, houswyf, huswijf, equivalent to house +‎ wife. Replaced earlier Middle English hussif (Modern English hussy), which is a doublet.

Person

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˈhaʊs.waɪf/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Bag

• IPA^(key): /ˈhʌzɪf/

housewife (plural housewives) (housewifes for the sense 3)

1. A woman, often unemployed, who spends most of her time maintaining the upkeep of her home and tending to household affairs.
   • 2000, Uli Kusch, "Mr. Torture", Helloween, The Dark Ride.

     Mr Torture sells pain / To the housewives in Spain / He knows just what they crave / Mr Torture

2. The wife of a householder; the mistress of a family; the female head of a household.
3. A little case or bag for materials used in sewing, and for other articles of female work; – called also hussy.
   • 1852: Tom Taylor and Charles Reade, Masks and Faces Act II

     Woffington's housewife, made by herself, homely to the eye, but holds everything in the world

   • 1997, David L. Phillips, A Soldier's Story, MetroBooks, ISBN 1567994253, page 61.

     The "soldier's housewife" was a small sewing kit that was carried to make timely repairs to clothing and equipment.

• henhussy (archaic)

• homemaker

• househusband

• housewifely
• housewifery
• housewifization

housewife (third-person singular simple present housewifes, present participle housewifing, simple past and past participle housewifed)

1. Alternative form of housewive