noun
1.
( initial capital letter )
a.
the official title of a female member of the Order of the British Empire, equivalent to that of a knight.
b.
the official title of the wife of a knight or baronet.
2.
(formerly) a form of address to any woman of rank or authority.
3.
a matronly woman of advanced age; matron.
4.
Slang: Sometimes Offensive. a woman; female.
5.
Ecclesiastical. a title of a nun in certain orders.
Origin:
1175–1225; Middle English < Old French < Latin domina, feminine of dominus lord, master
1175–1225; Middle English < Old French < Latin domina, feminine of dominus lord, master
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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|
Link To dame
00:10
Dame
is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
| a gadget; dingus; thingumbob. |
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
dame (deɪm) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | (formerly) a woman of rank or dignity; lady |
| 2. | a nun who has taken the vows of her order, esp a Benedictine |
| 3. | archaic chiefly (Brit) a matronly or elderly woman |
| 4. | slang chiefly (US), (Canadian) a woman |
| 5. | (Brit) Also called: pantomime dame the role of a comic old woman in a pantomime, usually played by a man |
| [C13: from Old French, from Latin domina lady, mistress of a household] | |
| Dame (deɪm) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | the title of a woman who has been awarded the Order of the British Empire or any of certain other orders of chivalry |
| 2. | Compare Lady the legal title of the wife or widow of a knight or baronet, placed before her name: Dame Judith |
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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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
dame
early 13c., from O.Fr. dame, from L.L. domna, from L. domina "lady, mistress of the house," from L. domus "house" (see domestic). Legal title for the wife of a knight or baronet. Slang sense of "woman" first attested 1902 in Amer.Eng.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
It may be a refueling, and she'll go down the route of the great grande-dame roles.
Then the house-dame brought wheaten bread and many dainties.
In the makeover, the grande dame has even acquired a sense of humor.
There's a certain irresistibility to the grande dame of film portraying the grande dame of fashion.
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