Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
 
Help
Related Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

MESDAMES

 - 9 dictionary results

mes⋅dames

  [mey-dahm, -dam; Fr. mey-dam]
Use MESDAMES in a Sentence
–noun
1. a pl. of madam.
2. pl. of madame.

mad⋅am

  [mad-uhm]
–noun, plural mes⋅dames  [mey-dam, -dahm] for 1; mad⋅ams for 2, 3.
1. (often initial capital letter) a polite term of address to a woman, originally used only to a woman of rank or authority: Madam President; May I help you, madam?
2. the woman in charge of a household: Is the madam at home?
3. the woman in charge of a house of prostitution.
Origin:
1250–1300; ME madame < OF, orig. ma dame my lady; see dame

mad⋅ame

  [muh-dam, -dahm, ma-; mad-uhm; Fr. ma-dam]
–noun, plural mes⋅dames  [mey-dam, -dahm; Fr. mey-dam] . (often initial capital letter)
1. a French title of respect equivalent to “Mrs.”, used alone or prefixed to a woman's married name or title: Madame Curie.
2. (in English) a title of respect used in speaking to or of an older woman, esp. one of distinction, who is not of American or British origin. Abbreviation: Mme.
Origin:
1590–1600; < F; see madam
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To MESDAMES
Mad·am   (mād'əm)   
n.   Abbr. Mdm.

  1. pl. Mes·dames (mā-dām', -däm') Used formerly as a courtesy title before a woman's given name but now used only before a surname or title indicating rank or office: Madam Ambassador.

  2. Used as a salutation in a letter: Dear Madam or Sir.

  3. madam Used as a form of polite address for a woman: Right this way, madam.

  4. madam The mistress of a household.

  5. madam A woman who manages a brothel. See Usage Note at mistress.


[Middle English madame, from Old French ma dame; see Madame.]
Ma·dame   (mə-dām', mād'əm)   
n.   pl. Mes·dames (mā-dām', -däm') Abbr. Mme.

  1. Used as a courtesy title before the surname or full name of a woman, especially a married woman, in a French-speaking area: Madame Cartier; Madame Jacqueline Cartier.

  2. madame Used as a form of polite address for a woman in a French-speaking area.


[French, from Old French ma dame : ma, my (from Latin mea, feminine of meus; see me-1 in Indo-European roots) + dame, lady (from Latin domina, feminine of dominus, lord, master of a household; see dem- in Indo-European roots).]
Mes·dames   (mā-däm', -dām')   
n.   Abbr. Mmes.

  1. Plural of Madam.

  2. Plural of Madame.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Slang Dictionary
madam

  1. n.
    the female keeper of a brothel. : The cops led the madam away, followed by a parade of you-know-whats.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

madam 
1297, from O.Fr. ma dame, lit. "my lady," from L. mea domina (cf. madonna). Meaning "female owner or manager of a brothel" is first attested 1871.

madame 
1599, see madam, which is an earlier borrowing of the same Fr. phrase. Originally a title of respect for a woman of rank, now given to any married woman. OED recommends madam as an Eng. title, madame in ref. to foreign women.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Search another word or see MESDAMES on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way