Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web

matronship

 - 3 dictionary results

ma⋅tron

[mey-truhn]
–noun
1. a married woman, esp. one who is mature and staid or dignified and has an established social position.
2. a woman who has charge of the domestic affairs of a hospital, prison, or other institution.
3. a woman serving as a guard, warden, or attendant for women or girls, as in a prison.

Origin:
1350–1400; ME matrone < L mātrōna a married woman, wife, deriv. of māter mother


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. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To matronship
Word Origin & History

matron 
c.1375, "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 1557.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: ma·tron
Pronunciation: 'mA-tr&n
Function: noun
British : a woman superintendent of a medical institution (as a hospital)
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see matronship on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us: