kitchen maid

Below-stairs domestic worker

A kitchen maid is a domestic servant who assists the cook, handling tasks like washing dishes, peeling vegetables, scrubbing pots, and keeping the kitchen clean.

The position was near the bottom of household staff hierarchies in large estates: She started as a kitchen maid and worked her way up to cook.

The term is largely historical, associated with the era of formal domestic service.

Related

scrub brush · pots · pans · hearth · soot · black lead · below stairs · service stairs · housemaid · domestic · skivvy · drudge · washing up · dirty dishes · hot water · copper · ladle · downstairs

Categories
Opposites
household hierarchy

kitchen maidhead of household

Family's chief decision-maker

butler · master of the house · lady of the house · housekeeper · estate manager

kitchen role hierarchy

kitchen maidhead cook

Kitchen's senior culinary leader

chef · executive chef · head chef · sous chef · cook

served vs. serving

kitchen maidmistress

Illicit female lover

master · aristocrat · employer · noblewoman · duchess

Family

kitchen, maid, kitchens, kitchenette, maids, maiden, maidens, maidenly, maidservant

Familiarity
Top 200,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G