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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Smith was made a dame in 1990 by Queen Elizabeth II. Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 27 Sep. 2024 A week before, legendary makeup dame Pat McGrath presented fashion’s most viral beauty look in history: Maison Margiela Couture’s porcelain dolls. India Espy-Jones, Essence, 5 Nov. 2024 The Marbella Club, a Leading Hotel of the World member, is one of those European grand dame hotels that has been a beachfront favorite of Brits for years and is only just now starting to get recognized by Americans as a worthy destination on par with Amalfi Coast and Mykonos. Devorah Lev-Tov, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2024 Here is hoping that the grand dame didn’t sacrifice what easily looks to be the most promising season for the franchise since season five with her shortsighted machinations. Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for dame 

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 30 Nov. 2024.

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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