Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Madam

Mad′am

,
Noun.
;
pl.
Madams
, or
Mesdames
(#)
.
[See
Madame
.]
1.
A gentlewoman; – an appellation or courteous form of address given to a lady, especially an elderly or a married lady; – much used in the address, at the beginning of a letter, to a woman. The corresponding word in addressing a man is
Sir
; often abbreviated
ma’am
when used as a term of address.

Webster 1828 Edition


Madam

MAD'AM

,
Noun.
An appellation or complimentary title given to married and elderly ladies, or chiefly to them.

Definition 2024


madam

madam

See also: madám

English

Noun

madam (plural madams)

  1. A polite form of address for a woman or lady.
    Mrs Grey wondered if the outfit she was trying on made her look fat. The sales assistant just said, “It suits you, madam”.
    Later, Mrs Grey was sitting in her favourite tea shop. “Would madam like the usual cream cakes and patisserie with her tea?” the waitress asked.
  2. The mistress of a household.
  3. (colloquial) A conceited or quarrelsome girl.
    Selina kept pushing and shoving during musical chairs. The nursery school teacher said she was a bad-tempered little madam.
  4. (slang) A woman who runs a brothel, particularly one that specializes in finding prostitutes for rich and important clients.
    After she grew too old to work as a prostitute, she became a madam.

Synonyms

Coordinate terms

Translations

Related terms

See also

Verb

madam (third-person singular simple present madams, present participle madaming, simple past and past participle madamed)

  1. (transitive) To address as "madam".
    • 1905, William Clark Russell, The Yarn of Old Harbour Town (page 208)
      He bowed to me, he madamed me, he was throughout as gentlemanlike and respectful as I had ever found him when we met at Old Harbour House or in Old Harbour Town.
    • 1988, Gahan Wilson, Eddy Deco's Last Caper (page 123)
      "I don't care," she said. "They'll be dead in a few minutes if you'll just do your job. Stop madaming me and get to work."

Anagrams


Dutch

Pronunciation

  • Hyphenation: ma‧dam

Etymology

From French madame

Noun

madam f (plural madammen or madams, diminutive madammeke n or madammeken n or madammetje n)

  1. madam
  2. female pimp

Turkish

Etymology

Borrowing from French madame.

Noun

madam (definite accusative madamı, plural madamlar)

  1. madam

Declension