| 释义 |
waitress|ˈweɪtrɪs|
Also 6 waitresse.
[f. waiter + -ess.]
†1. A waiting-maid, handmaid. Obs. rare—1.
c1586C'tess Pembroke Ps. cxxiii. i, Unto thee..lift I my earthy seeing..As the look of waitresse fixed on a lady lieth.
2. a. A woman who waits upon the guests at a hotel, restaurant, etc. Also one hired for a similar purpose on special occasions to supplement the staff of a private household. (Cf. waiter 8.)
1834Drakard's Stamford News 4 Nov., A waitress who lived at Alconbury hill. 1836Hood Let. Mem. (1860) I. 234, I boarded at the chateau, and only slept and breakfasted at the inn. I had the prettiest girl in the place for my waitress. 1854De Quincey Autob. Sk., Coleridge Wks. II. 188 note, Waiter:—Since this was first written, social changes in London..have introduced a corresponding new word—viz., waitress; which word, twenty-five years back, would have been simply ludicrous. 1871M. Collins Marq. & Merch. III. i. 27 A buxom waitress from the inn.
b. Chiefly U.S. A female servant in a private house whose duty is to wait upon those at table (cf. waiter 7 c); in extended use, a housemaid.
1875Mrs. Stowe We & our Neighbors 323 Maggie was parlor-girl and waitress, and a good one too. 1906N.Y. Herald 5 Mar. 14 A competent girl as waitress and to take charge of parlor floor; private family. 1937C. Day Life with Mother 215 Each brother had his own sacred place where his own toys were kept, except when the waitress cleaned the room and mixed everything up. 1953A. Christie Pocket Full of Rye iv. 32 Gladys Martin is the parlourmaid or waitress, as they like to call themselves nowadays.
3. Comb.: waitress service, service by waitresses in a restaurant, opp. self-service.
1960C. Dale Spring of Love i. 3 The floor with waitress service was always crowded. 1970E. McGirr Death pays Wages vii. 150 The main room had tables with white cloths and a waitress service.
Hence ˈwaitressing, service as a waitress; hence (as a back-formation) ˈwaitress v. intr., to work as a waitress.
1936J. B. Priestley They walk in City xi. 335 Well, you're a nice-looking girl and you have done some waitressing—so it oughtn't to be hard for you to get a place. 1950Landfall Dec. 308 There were pretty good ones [sc. jobs] going now—cooking and waitressing in town. 1974K. Millett Flying (1975) iii. 311, I was a kid from St. Paul waitressing in Glacier Park. 1984Times 15 Oct. 10/4 The waitress..can..make waitressing into a performing art. 1984New Yorker 29 Oct. 43/1 Jenny was waitressing in Denver. |