housewife (or as huzzif), hosewijf, husewif, huswife, huswijf

[Eng. house, and wife.] 1. The mistre of a family; the female head of a household; the wife of a householder. 2. A case for holding pins, needles, thread, sci ors, and the like. *3. A hu y. (Shakesp.: Henry V., v. 1.) Housewife and hu y were at first but two dif ferent methods of spelling the same word.