handmaid

handmaid
    n 1: in a subordinate position; "theology should be the
         handmaiden of ethics"; "the state cannot be a servant of
         the church" [syn: {handmaid}, {handmaiden}, {servant}]
    2: a personal maid or female attendant [syn: {handmaid},
       {handmaiden}]
    

Handmaid \Hand"maid`\ (h[a^]nd"m[=a]d`), Handmaiden
\Hand"maid`en\ (h[a^]nd"m[=a]d`'n), n.
   A maid that waits at hand; a female servant or attendant.
   [WordNet sense 2]
   [1913 Webster]

   2. Something or someone serving in a subordinate position;
      as, theology should be the handmaiden of ethics. [WordNet
      sense 1]

   Syn: handmaid, servant.
        [WordNet 1.5]
    

Handmaid
servant (Gen. 16:1; Ruth 3:9; Luke 1:48). It is probable that
Hagar was Sarah's personal attendant while she was in the house
of Pharaoh, and was among those maid-servants whom Abram had
brought from Egypt.
    

67 Moby Thesaurus words for "handmaid":
      Charlie McCarthy, abigail, agent, amah, ancilla, appliance,
      au pair girl, ayah, betweenmaid, biddy, chambermaid, chaperon,
      companion, contrivance, cook, creature, device, duenna, dummy,
      dupe, femme de chambre, fille de chambre, gentlewoman, girl,
      go-between, handmaiden, hired girl, housemaid, implement,
      instrument, interagent, intermediary, intermediate, intermedium,
      kitchenmaid, lady-help, lady-in-waiting, lever, live-in maid,
      live-out maid, maid, maidservant, mechanism, mediator, medium,
      midwife, minion, nursemaid, organ, parlormaid, pawn, plaything,
      puppet, scullery maid, servant, servant girl, servitress, slave,
      soubrette, stooge, tool, toy, tweeny, upstairs maid, vehicle,
      waiting maid, wench