Lady-in-waiting Definition & Meaning

American

British

Etymology

Examples

Synonyms lady-in-waiting American [ley-dee-in-wey-ting] / ˈleɪ di ɪnˈweɪ tɪŋ /

noun

plural

ladies-in-waiting

1. a lady who is in attendance upon a queen or princess.

2. Facetious. a woman who is pregnant.

   flattering fashions for the lady-in-waiting.

lady-in-waiting British

noun

1. a lady of a royal household who attends a queen or princess

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of lady-in-waiting

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The way back is for Lady Danbury to seek out a lady-in-waiting to keep Her Majesty company when she is away - but she questions if she is selfish for trying to put herself first.

From BBC

And the Princess’s new lady-in-waiting, Lady Clementine Cumberbatch, didn’t know where anything was.

From Literature

She once gave an expensive watch to a lady-in-waiting who’d been late to an engagement — a not-so-subtle hint to be on time.

From Los Angeles Times

The book, which was written by Murasaki Shikibu, a lady-in-waiting in the emperor’s court, continuously centers female perspectives while ostensibly chronicling the escapades of a male hero.

From New York Times

The locals assume Elinor had been a lady-in-waiting, but she paid for this honor with her blood and courage during both world wars.

From Washington Post

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.