Hypertext Webster Gateway: "housewife"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
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.
He a good husband, a good housewife she. --Dryden.
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.
3. A hussy. [R.] [Usually written {huswife}.] --Shak.
{Sailor's housewife}, a ditty-bag.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Housewife \House"wife`\, Housewive \House"wive`\, v. t.
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.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
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.
The huswife is she that do labor doth fall.
--Tusser.
2. A worthless woman; a hussy. [Obs.] --Shak.
3. [See {Hussy} a bag.] A case for sewing materials. See
{Housewife}. --Cowper.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (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}]
Additional Hypertext Webster Gateway Lookup
Gateway by dict@stokkie.net
stock only wrote the gateway and does not have any control over the contents;
see the Webster Gateway FAQ,
and also the Back-end/database links and credits.