dame

noun

1
: a woman of rank, station, or authority: such as
a
archaic : the mistress of a household
b
: the wife or daughter of a lord
c
: a female member of an order of knighthood
used as a title prefixed to the given name
2
a
informal : an elderly woman : matron
b
US slang, old-fashioned : woman
a classy dame

Examples of dame in a Sentence

She was made a dame the year before she died. as the grand dames of local society, they determined which charities received support
Recent Examples on the Web Where to Stay The Fairmont Empress in Victoria is the grand dame of the island’s hotels. Zoe Baillargeon, Vogue, 15 Nov. 2023 Look, Broadway’s had some great dames tread its boards. Vulture, 30 Oct. 2023 Later on that evening at the Musée National Picasso-Paris, Anna Wintour, who is a dame as well as a French Knight of the Legion of Honor, presented Valli with his own knighthood for his contribution to the world of the arts. Allyson Portee, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Oct. 2023 Located in the village of Torno on the lake’s southeastern shore, the sleek walnut-and-stone building by Spanish architect Patricia Urquiola stands out among the Como grand dames. Devorah Lev-Tov, Travel + Leisure, 11 July 2023 Montgomery has also hired a snappy dame — auburn-haired Anne Riordan — who runs an all-female detective agency. Maureen Corrigan, Washington Post, 3 Aug. 2023 One risky plant is dame’s rocket (Hesperis matronalis), a biennial with showy flowers in shades of white to purple, which is often mistaken for garden phlox (Phlox paniculata). Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 29 July 2023 Danny and the Deep Blue Sea Making her stage debut, the dame of deadpan, Aubrey Plaza, will star opposite Christopher Abbott in John Patrick Shanley’s classic down-and-out love story this October at the Lucille Lortel Theater in the West Village. Christopher Barnard, Vogue, 3 Aug. 2023 As his acceptance of Anne Riordan as a fellow professional suggests, this Marlowe recognizes that women can be more than just dangerous dames or helpless frails. Maureen Corrigan, Washington Post, 3 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dame.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin domina, feminine of dominus master; akin to Latin domus house — more at dome

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dame was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near dame

Cite this Entry

“Dame.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dame. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

dame

noun
: a woman of rank, station, or authority: as
a
archaic : the mistress of a household
b
: the wife or daughter of a lord
c
: a female member of an order of knighthood
used as a title before a given name
Etymology

Middle English dame "a woman of rank or authority, lady," from early French dame (same meaning), from Latin domina "mistress, lady," feminine form of dominus "master, owner" — related to damsel, dominate, don entry 2, madam, madonna, prima donna

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