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Definition of prima donna - 2 dictionary results

pri⋅ma don⋅na

[pree-muh don-uh, prim-uh; It. pree-mah dawn-nah]
–noun, plural pri⋅ma don⋅nas, Italian. pri⋅me don⋅ne [pree-me dawn-ne] .
1. a first or principal female singer of an opera company.
2. a temperamental person; a person who takes adulation and privileged treatment as a right and reacts with petulance to criticism or inconvenience.

Origin:
1760–70; < It: lit., first lady; see prime, duenna
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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pri·ma donna   (prē'mə, prĭm'ə)   
n.  
  1. The leading woman soloist in an opera company.

  2. A temperamental, conceited person.


[Italian : prima, feminine of primo, first + donna, lady.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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