'nursemaid' originates from the combination of 'nurse' and 'maid', where 'nurse' meant 'to care for' and 'maid' referred to a 'young woman or girl'.

'nursemaid' evolved from the Middle English word 'nurse' combined with 'maid', eventually becoming the modern English word 'nursemaid'.

Initially, it meant 'a woman who cares for children', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.