sailor's housewife

2 definitions found

sailor's housewife - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Housewife \House"wife`\, n. [House + wife. Cf. Hussy.]
     1. The wife of a householder; the mistress of a family; the
        female head of a household. --Shak.
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              He a good husband, a good housewife she. --Dryden.
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     2. (Usually pronounced ?.) [See Hussy, in this sense.] A
        little case or bag for materials used in sewing, and for
        other articles of female work; -- called also hussy.
        [Written also huswife.] --P. Skelton.
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     3. A hussy. [R.] [Usually written huswife.] --Shak.
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     Sailor's housewife, a ditty-bag. Housewife

  Ditty-bag \Dit"ty-bag`\, n.
     A sailor's small bag to hold thread, needles, tape, etc.; --
     also called sailor's housewife.
     [1913 Webster]