Period Drama Vocabulary

noun a woman employed to teach and train children in a private household

• The governess was hired to educate and care for the children of the wealthy family.
• The governess is like a live-in tutor for the kids.
• The governess is basically the kids' babysitter with a fancy title.
• She played the role of a governess in the lives of her younger siblings, guiding and teaching them as they grew up.

noun A room in a house or small institution where food is stored, prepared, and cleaned away

• The scullery maid was responsible for washing dishes and cleaning the kitchen.
• The scullery maid always complained about the never-ending pile of dirty dishes.
• The scullery maid was stuck doing all the grunt work in the kitchen.
• She felt like a scullery maid, constantly cleaning up after everyone else's mess.

noun a small piece of luggage typically used for carrying clothing and personal items during travel

• She packed her belongings neatly into her valise before leaving for her business trip.
• I just threw some clothes in my valise and headed out for the weekend.
• I'll just grab my valise and bounce, I'll see you later.
• His valise of memories was filled with moments from his travels around the world.