kitchen maid; servant girl
Historical term for a female servant who worked in the kitchen or did general housework, especially in the Edo period. Not used in modern employment contexts.
In merchant houses of the Edo period, kitchen maids did the kitchen work.
Compound of 下 (しも, 'lower') and 女中 (じょちゅう, 'maid'), indicating a maid of lower rank, typically assigned to kitchen work.