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matronhood

[mey-truhn]

Origin

noun

a married woman, especially one who is mature and staid or dignified and has an established social position.

a woman who has charge of the domestic affairs of a hospital, prison, or other institution.

a woman serving as a guard, warden, or attendant for women or girls, as in a prison.

Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English matrone < Latin mātrōna a married woman, wife, derivative of māter mother

Related forms

ma·tron·al

[mey-truh-nl, ma-] , adjective

ma·tron·hood, ma·tron·ship, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Matronhood is always a great word to know.

So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:

a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.

a fool or simpleton; ninny.

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Collins

World English Dictionary

matron (ˈmeɪtrən)

—n
1.	a married woman regarded as staid or dignified, esp a middle-aged woman with children
2.	a woman in charge of the domestic or medical arrangements in an institution, such as a boarding school
3.	(US) a wardress in a prison
4.	(Brit) Official name: nursing officer the former name for the administrative head of the nursing staff in a hospital

[C14: via Old French from Latin mātrōna, from māter mother]

'matronal

—*adj*

'matronhood

—n

'matronship

—n

'matron-like

—*adj*

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

matron

late 14c., "married woman" (usually one of rank), from O.Fr. matrone, from L. matrona "married woman," from mater (gen. matris) "mother." Sense of "female manager of school, hospital, etc." first recorded 1550s.

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