noun
A nursemaid or maid in East Asia or India.
‘She had been a perfect amah and servant since her employment there began only a few years before.’- ‘These women have been called the first generation of feminists in modern China, and they worked as amahs in Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore.’
- ‘I think of telling him that I would divorce the wife, send the kids to an orphanage, fire the amah, sell the apartment, and rent a flat in Sheung Wan.’
- ‘Recent news reports have detailed abusive treatment of these amahs by some employers.’
- ‘Often, they are negatively compared with a nostalgic image of the humble and loyal Chinese amah of the past.’
attendant, retainer
Origin
From Portuguese ama ‘nurse’.
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