matron

ma·tron   (mā'trən)    n.   A married woman or a widow, especially a mother of dignity, mature age, and established social position. A woman who acts as a supervisor or monitor in a public institution, such as a school, hospital, or prison. [Middle English matrone, from Old French, from Latin mātrōna, from māter, mātr-, mother; see māter- in Indo-European roots.] ma'tron·al adj., ma'tron·li·ness n., ma'tron·ly adv. & adj.

Matron

Ma"tron\, n. [F. matrone, L. matrona, fr. mater mother. See Mother.]

1. A wife or a widow, especially, one who has borne children; a woman of staid or motherly manners.

Your wives, your daughters, Your matrons, and your maids. --Shak.

Grave from her cradle, insomuch that she was a matron before she was a mother. --Fuller.

2. A housekeeper; esp., a woman who manages the domestic economy of a public instution; a head nurse in a hospital; as, the matron of a school or hospital.

Jury of matrons (Law), a jury of experienced women called to determine the question of pregnancy when set up in bar of execution, and for other cognate purposes.

matron 

Main Entry: ma·tron
Pronunciation: 'mA-tr&n
Function: noun
British : a woman superintendent of a medical institution (as a hospital)