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Mesdames

 [mey-dahm, -dam; Fr. mey-dam]   Origin

mes·dames

   [mey-dahm, -dam; Fr. mey-dam]
noun
1.
a plural of madam.
2.
plural of madame.
Dictionary.com Unabridged

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; Middle English madame < Old French, orig. ma dame my lady; see dame

Can be confused: madam, madame.

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, especially one of distinction, who is not of American or British origin. Abbreviation: Mme.
Origin:
1590–1600; < French; see madam

Can be confused: madam, madame.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
mesdames (ˈmeɪˌdæm, French medam)
 
—n
madame the plural of madam

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

madam
c.1300, 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.
EXPAND

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.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary

madam definition


  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.
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