dame
(initial capital letter) (in Britain)
the official title of a female member of the Order of the British Empire, equivalent to that of a knight.
the official title of the wife of a knight or baronet.
(formerly) a form of address to any woman of rank or authority.
a matronly woman of advanced age; matron.
Slang: Sometimes Offensive. a term used to refer to a woman: Some dame cut me off and almost caused an accident.
Ecclesiastical. a title of a nun in certain orders.
a mistress of a dame-school.
Archaic. the mistress of a household.
Archaic. a woman of rank or authority, especially a female ruler.
Origin of dame
1usage note For dame
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for dame (1 of 2)
/ (deɪm) /
(formerly) a woman of rank or dignity; lady
a nun who has taken the vows of her order, esp a Benedictine
archaic, mainly British a matronly or elderly woman
slang, mainly US and Canadian a woman
Also called: pantomime dame British the role of a comic old woman in a pantomime, usually played by a man
Origin of dame
1British Dictionary definitions for Dame (2 of 2)
/ (deɪm) /
the title of a woman who has been awarded the Order of the British Empire or any of certain other orders of chivalry
the legal title of the wife or widow of a knight or baronet, placed before her name: Dame Judith Compare Lady
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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