mui-tsai

noun \ ¦müē¦jī \

Definition of mui-tsai

plural mui-tsai

1 : a young slave girl in South China

2 : a system of girl slavery in South China

There's more!

Love words? You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
Advanced search features
Ad free!

Origin and Etymology of mui-tsai

Chinese (Cantonese) mooî-tsaí, from mooî younger sister + tsaí little; akin to Chinese (Pekingese) mei⁴-tsai³ little younger sister, from mei⁴ younger sister + tsai³ child