housekeeper

house·keep·er
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US/ˈhaʊskipɚ/UK/ˈhaʊskiːpə/

noun

Someone (traditionally a woman) employed to look after the home, typically by managing domestic servants or superintending household management; also someone with equivalent duties in a hotel, institution etc.

“She was their third housekeeper, but after a month or so she also gave up.”

Less commonFirst used 16th c.Scrabble 20
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Meanings

nounhousekeeper (plural housekeepers)

plural housekeepers · alternative house keeper · alternative house-keeper

  1. Someone (traditionally a woman) employed to look after the home, typically by managing domestic servants or superintending household management; also someone with equivalent duties in a hotel, institution etc.First known use 16th c.

    She was their third housekeeper, but after a month or so she also gave up.

    2 more examples

    The housekeeper, a very decorative brunette of thirty-five with a pseudo-English accent, greeted him with a mixture of grateful effusion and condescending patronage.

    1946, William Hatfield, Buffalo Jim, Oxford: Geoffrey Cumberlege, page 70

    When management of the toney Copley Plaza Hotel ordered housekeepers recently to put down their mops and hand wash the floors, a furor arose among the hotel cleaning staff. Local union representatives and others concerned with issues affecting women workers also rallied in anger to protest the directive, which in essence forced housekeepers to scrub on their hands and knees.

    1987 December 13, Elizabeth Pincus, “Copping To The Mop Scandal”, in Gay Community News, volume 15, number 22, page 1
  2. Someone who manages the running of a home, traditionally the female head of the household.First known use 17th c.
  3. archaiccolloquialSomeone who keeps to their house; someone who rarely ventures away from home; an unadventurous person, a homebody.First known use 18th c.

    I do assure you he is no house-keeper. I have seen him in desperate conflict with savage men, and even with His Majesty's redcoats.

    1915, John Buchan, Salute to Adventurers
  4. archaicSomeone who owns a house as a place of residence; a householder.First known use 15th c.

    He was often heard to express his fears of coming upon the parish; and to bless God, that, on account of his having been so long a housekeeper, he was intitled to that provision.

    1751, [Tobias] Smollett, The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle […], volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), London: Harrison and Co., […], →OCLC

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
homekeeper

Origin

From house + keeper.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek οἰκουρός
  • οἰκουρός (oikourós)someone who manages the home, traditionally female head of household
Arabic مُدَبَّرَة الْمَنْزَل
  • مُدَبَّرَة الْمَنْزَلsomeone who manages the home, traditionally female head of household
Bulgarian иконо́мка, домоупра́вителка
  • иконо́мка (ikonómka)someone employed to manage or look after a home
  • домоупра́вителка (domouprávitelka)someone employed to manage or look after a home
  • домакиня (domakinja)someone who manages the home, traditionally female head of household
Catalan casera, casera
  • caserasomeone employed to manage or look after a home
  • caserasomeone who manages the home, traditionally female head of household
Chinese Mandarin 房屋管理人, 女管家
  • 房屋管理人 (fángwū guǎnlǐrén)someone employed to manage or look after a home
  • 女管家 (nǚguǎnjiā)someone who manages the home, traditionally female head of household
  • 管家 (guǎnjiā)someone who manages the home, traditionally female head of household
Czech hospodyně
  • hospodyněsomeone who manages the home, traditionally female head of household
Dutch huishoudster
  • huishoudstersomeone who manages the home, traditionally female head of household
Esperanto mastrumistino
  • mastrumistinosomeone employed to manage or look after a home
Finnish emäntä, emännöitsijä
  • emäntäsomeone employed to manage or look after a home
  • emännöitsijäsomeone employed to manage or look after a home
  • taloudenhoitajasomeone employed to manage or look after a home
  • emäntäsomeone who manages the home, traditionally female head of household
French gouvernante, ménagère
  • gouvernantesomeone employed to manage or look after a home
  • ménagèresomeone who manages the home, traditionally female head of household
German Haushälterin, Hausfrau
  • Haushälterinsomeone employed to manage or look after a home
  • Hausfrausomeone who manages the home, traditionally female head of household
  • Haushälterinsomeone who manages the home, traditionally female head of household
  • Haushältersomeone who manages the home, traditionally female head of household
Greek οικονόμος, οικονόμος
  • οικονόμος (oikonómos)someone employed to manage or look after a home
  • οικονόμος (oikonómos)someone who manages the home, traditionally female head of household
  • νοικοκυρά (noikokyrá)someone who manages the home, traditionally female head of household
Hungarian házvezetőnő
  • házvezetőnősomeone employed to manage or look after a home
Irish bean tí, tíosach
  • bean tísomeone who manages the home, traditionally female head of household
  • tíosachsomeone who manages the home, traditionally female head of household
Italian governante, casalinga
  • governantesomeone employed to manage or look after a home
  • casalingasomeone who manages the home, traditionally female head of household
Japanese 家政婦, ハウスキーパー
  • 家政婦 (kaseifu)someone who manages the home, traditionally female head of household
  • ハウスキーパー (hausukīpā)someone who manages the home, traditionally female head of household
Korean 가정부
  • 가정부 (gajeongbu)someone who manages the home, traditionally female head of household
Persian خانهدار
  • خانهدار (xānedār)someone employed to manage or look after a home
Polish pomoc domowa, gosposia
  • pomoc domowasomeone employed to manage or look after a home
  • gosposiasomeone employed to manage or look after a home
Portuguese governanta, dona de casa
  • governantasomeone employed to manage or look after a home
  • dona de casasomeone who manages the home, traditionally female head of household
Romanian menajeră, femeie în casă
  • menajerăsomeone who manages the home, traditionally female head of household
  • femeie în casăsomeone who manages the home, traditionally female head of household
  • casnicăsomeone who manages the home, traditionally female head of household
Russian эконо́мка, домоправи́тельница
  • эконо́мка (ekonómka)someone employed to manage or look after a home
  • домоправи́тельница (domopravítelʹnica)someone employed to manage or look after a home
  • домрабо́тница (domrabótnica)someone who manages the home, traditionally female head of household
  • эконо́мка (ekonómka)someone who manages the home, traditionally female head of household
Spanish ama de llaves, gobernanta
  • ama de llavessomeone employed to manage or look after a home
  • gobernantasomeone employed to manage or look after a home
  • ama de gobiernosomeone employed to manage or look after a home
  • ama de llavessomeone who manages the home, traditionally female head of household
  • gobernantasomeone who manages the home, traditionally female head of household
  • ama de gobiernosomeone who manages the home, traditionally female head of household
Turkish idareci, ev hanımı
  • idarecisomeone employed to manage or look after a home
  • ev hanımısomeone who manages the home, traditionally female head of household
Vietnamese bà quản gia
  • bà quản giasomeone who manages the home, traditionally female head of household
Cite this entry
APA

housekeeper. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/housekeeper

MLA

“housekeeper.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/housekeeper. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “housekeeper,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/housekeeper.

Source: housekeeper on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.