Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for beldam

beldam

[ bel-duhm, -dam ]

noun

  1. an old woman, especially an ugly one; hag.
  2. Obsolete. grandmother.


beldam

/ ˈbɛldəm /

noun

  1. archaic.
    an old woman, esp an ugly or malicious one; hag
  2. an obsolete word for grandmother


Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of beldam1

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, equivalent to bel- “grand-” (from Middle French bel, belle “fine, good-looking”) + dam “mother”; beau, belle, dam 2

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of beldam1

C15: from bel- grand (as in grandmother ), from Old French bel beautiful, from Latin bellus + dam mother, variant of dame

Discover More

Example Sentences

At last the beldam stopped in an out-of-the-way part of the town, before a strange-looking house.

The beldam hurried hither and thither, and with the help of the guinea pigs and squirrels quickly made the soup.

Was the beldam an enchantress, and were these little animals children, whom she had stolen and made victims of her enchantments?

Alma Mater was to me injusta noverca; and the old beldam only gave me my M.A. degree because she could not avoid it.

He had a certain amount of faith in the divinations of magic, and at least it could do no harm to see what the beldam would say.

Advertisement

Word of the Day

inveterate

[in-vet-er-it ]

Meaning and examples

Start each day with the Word of the Day in your inbox!

By clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policies.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


beldbeleaguer