Housewife

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Housewife \House"wife`\, Housewive \House"wive`\, v. t.
     To manage with skill and economy, as a housewife or other
     female manager; to economize.
     [1913 Webster]
  
           Conferred those moneys on the nuns, which since they


           have well housewived.                    --Fuller.
     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              He a good husband, a good housewife she. --Dryden.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. A hussy. [R.] [Usually written {huswife}.] --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {Sailor's housewife}, a ditty-bag. Housewife

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Huswife \Hus"wife\, n. [OE. huswif; hus house + wif wife. Cf.
     {Hussy} a housewife, {Housewife}.] [Written also
     {housewife}.]
     1. A female housekeeper; a woman who manages domestic
        affairs; a thirfty woman. "The bounteous huswife Nature."
        --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The huswife is she that do labor doth fall.
                                                    --Tusser.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. A worthless woman; a hussy. [Obs.] --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. [See {Hussy} a bag.] A case for sewing materials. See
        {Housewife}. --Cowper.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  housewife
       n : a wife who who manages a household while her husband earns
           the family income [syn: {homemaker}, {lady of the house},
            {woman of the house}]
       [also: {housewives} (pl)]