Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An old woman, especially one who is considered ugly.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Grandmother: corresponding to belsire, grandfather: sometimes applied to a great-grandmother.
  • noun An old woman in general, especially an ugly old woman; a hag.
  • noun [A forced use of the F. belle dame.] Fair dame or lady.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Grandmother; -- corresponding to belsire.
  • noun An old woman in general; especially, an ugly old woman; a hag.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Alternative spelling of beldame.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun an ugly evil-looking old woman
  • noun a woman of advanced age

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, grandmother : bel, indicating respect (from Old French bel, fine, from Latin bellus; see deu- in Indo-European roots) + dame, lady; see dame.]

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