Definition of HOUSEWIFE

housewife

Meanings

Plural: housewifes, housewives

Noun

  • a wife who manages a household while her husband earns the family income
  • A woman whose main employment is homemaking, maintaining the upkeep of her home and tending to household affairs; often, such a woman whose sole [unpaid] employment is homemaking.
  • The wife of a householder; the mistress of a family; the female head of a household.
  • A little case or bag for materials used in sewing, and for other articles of female work.
  • A worthless woman; a hussy.

Verb

  • Alternative form of housewive.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English houswyf, housewif, huswijf, equivalent to house + wife; a doublet of hussy, which it was long distinguished from and displaced due to gradual negative connotation (see Online Etymology Dictionary entry). Cognate with German Hausweib.

Synonyms

henhussy, homemaker, hussy, lady of the house, woman of the house

Scrabble Score: 18

housewife is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
housewife is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
housewife is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 18

housewife is a valid Words With Friends word