abigail
/ˈabɪɡeɪl
/noun archaic
A lady’s maid.Lady Protheroe sent her abigail ahead and took Croft's arm....
- I was as close as a young lady might be to her abigail, but it did not help that I could not drag a coherent word out of her.
- I have taken the liberty of retaining an abigail for you; I was surprised your father had not done so.
Origin
Mid 17th century: from the name of a character in The Scornful Lady by Beaumont and Fletcher, possibly in allusion to 1 Sam. 25: 23–24: ‘And when Abigail saw David, she … fell at his feet, and said, “… hear the words of thine handmaid”.’.
- civil commotion
- civil conviction
- civil court
- civil crown
- civil death
- civil defence
- civil disobedience
- civil engineer
- civil engineering
- civilian
- civilian casualty
- civilianise
- civilianism
- civilianization
- civilianize
- civilian target
- civilian–military
- civilisade
- civilisation
- civilise
- civilist
- civility
- civilizable
- civilizade
- civilization