charwoman

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a woman hired, traditionally by the day or hour, to clean a house or other building; dated

   The office employed a charwoman to clean the rooms each evening.

Simplified etymology

The char- in charwoman comes from the obsolete word char or chare, meaning “a turn of work” or “an odd job.” A charwoman was therefore a woman employed to perform such jobs.

Formed from char, in its older sense of a turn of work or an odd job, + woman. The occupational term became common in the 19th century and is now chiefly historical or dated.

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary