stewardess
UK: ˈstjuːədəs | US: ˈstuːərdəs
n. a woman employed to manage passengers' needs on an aircraft or ship
n. (archaic) a female steward responsible for household or estate management
stewardess = steward<manager> + ess<female suffix>
- steward: From Old English stīweard (literally "house guardian"), combining stīg<house> + weard<guard>. Originally referred to an official managing a household or estate.
- ess: A suffix derived from Old French -esse, Latin -issa, used to form feminine nouns (e.g., actress, hostess).
Etymology Origin:
The word evolved from steward (a gender-neutral role) by adding the feminine suffix -ess, reflecting historical gender-specific job titles. While stewardess was once standard, modern usage favors gender-neutral terms like flight attendant due to societal shifts.
The stewardess demonstrated the safety procedures before takeoff.
In the 19th century, a stewardess might oversee servants in a wealthy household.
She trained for months to become a stewardess on international flights.
The term "stewardess" is less common today, replaced by "cabin crew."
Passengers thanked the stewardess for her attentive service during the long flight.