housewife Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a wife who manages a household while her husband earns the family income
    woman of the house; lady of the house; homemaker.

WordNet


House"wife` noun
Etymology
House + wife. Cf. Hussy.
Definitions
  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. 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.
House"wife`, House"wive` transitive verb (Also<
  • Housewife
  • Housewive
)
Definitions
  1. 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 1913