Nearby Words
noun
1.
a woman who is refined, polite, and well-spoken: She may be poor and have little education, but she's a real lady.
2.
a woman of high social position or economic class: She was born a lady and found it hard to adjust to her reduced circumstances.
3.
any woman; female (sometimes used in combination): the lady who answered the phone; a saleslady.
4.
(Used in direct address: often offensive in the singular): Ladies and gentlemen, welcome. Lady, out of my way, please.
5.
EXPANDwife: The ambassador and his lady arrived late.
6.
Slang. a female lover or steady companion.
7.
(initial capital letter) (in Great Britain) the proper title of any woman whose husband is higher in rank than baronet or knight, or who is the daughter of a nobleman not lower than an earl (although the title is given by courtesy also to the wives of baronets and knights).
8.
a woman who has proprietary rights or authority, as over a manor; female feudal superior. Compare lord (def. 4).
9.
(initial capital letter) the Virgin Mary.
10.
a woman who is the object of chivalrous devotion.
11.
COLLAPSE(usually initial capital letter)
a.
an attribute or abstraction personified as a woman; a designation of an allegorical figure as feminine: Lady Fortune; Lady Virtue.
b.
a title prefixed to the name of a goddess: Lady Venus.
adjective
12.
Sometimes Offensive. being a lady; female: a lady reporter.
13.
of a lady; ladylike; feminine.
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Lady
is always a great word to know.
So is banana oil. Does it mean:
| insincere talk; nonsense |
| to deceive, cheat, or dupe |
Origin:
before 900; Middle English ladi(e), earlier lavedi, Old English hlǣfdīge, hlǣfdige, perhaps orig. meaning “loaf-kneader,” equivalent to hlāf loaf + -dīge, -dige, variant of dǣge kneader (see dough; compare Old Norse deigja maid); see lord
before 900; Middle English ladi(e), earlier lavedi, Old English hlǣfdīge, hlǣfdige, perhaps orig. meaning “loaf-kneader,” equivalent to hlāf loaf + -dīge, -dige, variant of dǣge kneader (see dough; compare Old Norse deigja maid); see lord
Related forms
la·dy·hood, noun
la·dy·ish, adjective
la·dy·ish·ly, adverb
la·dy·ish·ness, noun
la·dy·less, adjective
Can be confused: gal, girl, lady, woman (see usage note at girl; see synonym and usage notes at the current entry; see synonym and usage notes at woman).
Usage note
In the meanings “refined, polite woman” and “woman of high social position” the noun lady is the parallel of gentleman. As forms of address, both nouns are used in the plural (Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your cooperation), but only lady occurs in the singular. Except in chivalrous, literary, or similar contexts (Lady, spurn me not), this singular is now usually perceived as rude or at least insensitive: Where do you want the new air conditioner, lady? EXPANDAlthough lady is still found in phrases or compounds referring to occupation or the like (cleaning lady; forelady; saleslady), this use seems to be diminishing. The use of lady as a modifier (lady doctor; lady artist) suggests that it is unusual to find a woman in the role specified. Many women are offended by this use, and it too is becoming less common
An approach that is increasingly followed is to avoid specifying the sex of the performer or practitioner. Person or a sex-neutral term can be substituted for lady, as cleaner for cleaning lady, supervisor for forelady, and salesperson or salesclerk for saleslady. When circumstances make it relevant to specify sex, woman not lady is used, the parallel term being man: Men doctors outnumber women doctors on the hospital staff by more than three to one. See also -person, -woman.
COLLAPSE
In the meanings “refined, polite woman” and “woman of high social position” the noun lady is the parallel of gentleman. As forms of address, both nouns are used in the plural (Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your cooperation), but only lady occurs in the singular. Except in chivalrous, literary, or similar contexts (Lady, spurn me not), this singular is now usually perceived as rude or at least insensitive: Where do you want the new air conditioner, lady? EXPANDAlthough lady is still found in phrases or compounds referring to occupation or the like (cleaning lady; forelady; saleslady), this use seems to be diminishing. The use of lady as a modifier (lady doctor; lady artist) suggests that it is unusual to find a woman in the role specified. Many women are offended by this use, and it too is becoming less common
An approach that is increasingly followed is to avoid specifying the sex of the performer or practitioner. Person or a sex-neutral term can be substituted for lady, as cleaner for cleaning lady, supervisor for forelady, and salesperson or salesclerk for saleslady. When circumstances make it relevant to specify sex, woman not lady is used, the parallel term being man: Men doctors outnumber women doctors on the hospital staff by more than three to one. See also -person, -woman.
COLLAPSE
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To lady
Example Sentences
- Lady hyraxes are therefore provided with a reliable précis of the strengths and weaknesses of each of their potential mates.
- Ladybugs, ladybirds, or lady beetles-whatever one calls them-are favored by farmers as voracious pest-eaters.
- It will not kill beneficial insects such as lady bugs that control aphids and other insects.
Collins
World English Dictionary
| lady (ˈleɪdɪ) | |
| —n , pl -dies | |
| 1. | a woman regarded as having the characteristics of a good family and high social position |
| 2. | a. a polite name for a woman |
| b. (as modifier): a lady doctor | |
| 3. | an informal name for wife |
| 4. | lady of the house the female head of the household |
| 5. | history Compare lord a woman with proprietary rights and authority, as over a manor |
| [Old English hlǣfdīge, from hlāf bread + dīge kneader, related to dāh dough] | |
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
lady
M.E. lafdi, lavede, ladi, from O.E. hlæfdige "mistress of a household, wife of a lord," lit. "one who kneads bread," from hlaf "bread" (see loaf) + -dige "maid," related to dæge "maker of dough" (see dey (1); also compare
EXPAND lord). Not found outside English except where borrowed from it. Sense of "woman of superior position in society" is c.1200; "woman whose manners and sensibilities befit her for high rank in society" is from 1861 (ladylike in this sense is from 1580s). Meaning "woman as an object of chivalrous love" is from late 14c. Used commonly as an address to any woman since 1890s. Applied in O.E. to the Holy Virgin, hence many extended usages in plant names, etc., from gen. sing. hlæfdigan, which in M.E. merged with the nominative, so that lady- often represents (Our) Lady's; e.g. ladybug. Ladies' man first recorded 1784.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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FOLDOC
Computing Dictionary
LADY definition
language["Key Concepts in the INCAS Multicomputer Project", J. Nehmer et al IEEE Trans Soft Eng SE-13(8):913-923 (Aug 1987)].
(1996-06-21)
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia
lady
in the British Isles, a general title for any peeress below the rank of duchess and also for the wife of a baronet or of a knight. Before the Hanoverian succession, when the use of "princess" became settled practice, royal daughters were styled Lady Forename or the Lady Forename. "Lady" is ordinarily used as a less formal alternative to the full title of a countess, viscountess, or baroness; where the name is territorial, the "of " is dropped-thus the Vicountess of A. but Lady A. The daughters of dukes, marquesses, and earls also have, by courtesy, the title of lady prefixed to their forename and surname-e.g., Lady Jane Grey.
Learn more about lady with a free trial on Britannica.com.
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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Word Dynamo By Dictionary.com
Slang
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