1.
maid, female servant, housemaid
A woman employed in domestic service, particularly in traditional Japanese households, inns, or restaurants. Now considered old-fashioned and potentially offensive as a label for modern service workers.
Usage
In modern Japanese, 女中 is considered old-fashioned and can sound derogatory. Current equivalents include 仲居 (waitress at a ryokan) or お手伝いさん (housekeeper/helper). The word is still commonly encountered in historical fiction, period dramas, and older literature.
In the context of the Edo-period 大奥 (women's quarters of the shogun's castle), 女中 referred to the women who served there, ranging from high-ranking ladies-in-waiting to lower servants.