lady's-maidv.
/ˈleɪdɪz ˌmeɪd/, U.S. /ˈleɪdiz ˈmeɪd/ Now rare.
transitive. To act as a maid for (a lady); to do the work of a lady's maid for (a person).
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > subjection > service > servant > personal or domestic servant > attendant or personal servant > attend upon as servant [verb (transitive)] > as maid
lady's-maid1865
maid1909
1865 Leaves from Diary Celebrated Burglar 56/1 We ‘grannied’ each other's appearance..Joe's little ‘moll’ ‘coming the valet’ on us, fixing out neck-ties, collars, &c. and we ‘ladies-maiding’ her in return.
1914 W. De Morgan When Ghost meets Ghost i. xxxii. 392 Maggie goes with her, to lady's-maid her.
1926 D. L. Sayers Clouds of Witness iii. 79 Who has been lady's-maiding my sister, Bunter?
1940 M. Sadleir Fanny by Gaslight viii. 214 Lady Alicia..casually remarked that she supposed I was prepared to lady's-maid her sisters also, as they were temporarily without their personal helps.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2008; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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