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.

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

Lady Hussey was the late Queen's lady-in-waiting and was seen as a key and trusted figure in the Royal Household for decades.

From BBC

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.