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housewife

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house⋅wife

  [hous-wahyf or, usually, huhz-if for 2] noun, plural -wives  [-wahyvz] , verb, -wifed, -wif⋅ing.
Use housewife in a Sentence
–noun
1. a married woman who manages her own household, esp. as her principal occupation.
2. British. a sewing box; a small case or box for needles, thread, etc.
–verb (used with object), verb (used without object)
3. Archaic. to manage with efficiency and economy, as a household.
Origin:
1175–1225; ME hus(e)wif. See house, wife

Usage note:
1. Housewife is offensive to some, perhaps because of an implied contrast with career woman (just a housewife) and perhaps because it defines an occupation in terms of a woman's relation to a man. Homemaker is a common substitute.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To housewife
house·wife   (hous'wīf')   
n.   pl. house·wives (-wīvz')
  1. A woman who manages her own household as her main occupation.
  2. (hŭz'ĭf) A small container for needles, thread, and other sewing equipment.

[Middle English houswif : hous, house; see house + wife, wife; see wife.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Housewife

House"wife`\, n. [House + wife. Cf. Hussy.]

1. The wife of a householder; the mistress of a family; the female head of a household. --Shak.

He a good husband, a good housewife she. --Dryden.

2. (Usually pronounced ?.) [See Hussy, in this sense.] A little case or bag for materials used in sewing, and for other articles of female work; -- called also hussy. [Written also huswife.] --P. Skelton.

3. A hussy. [R.] [Usually written huswife.] --Shak.

Sailor's housewife, a ditty-bag.

Housewife

House"wife`\, Housewive \House"wive`\, 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. --Fuller.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : housewife
Spanish: ama de casa,
German: die Hausfrau,
Japanese: 主婦
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Housewifes
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Housewife
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 Peeplo.com/Housewife