Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. The mother of one's father or mother; a grandmother.
- n. An old woman.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. An old woman; especially, a grandmother.
Wiktionary
- n. grandmother
- n. old lady, elderly woman
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. An old woman; specifically, a grandmother.
Etymologies
- From the French grand dame (Wiktionary)
- Middle English grandame, from Old French dame-grant : dame, lady; see dame + grand, grant, great; see grand. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“Judith Merril was known as the grandam of science fiction and Phyllis as the mother of Canadian SF.”
“When my father told me that my grandam" ( "grandam" has a good sound always, like a great oath) "had been murdered by de Morimont of Morimont Castle, I swore that the murder should not go unavenged.”
“If they put Raul in the first movie other than being a baby or a youngster in the end with grandam then I will not see the movies to damaged the integrity of the books in such a way would be horrible!”
Dan Simmons's Hyperion Sci-Fi Series Being Adapted by Warner Bros « FirstShowing.net
“Shahriman showed the more kindness to Julnar and honoured her with increase of honour; and the little one grew up and flourished, whilst his maternal uncle and grandam and cousins visited the King every few days and abode with him a month or two months at a time.”
“He had a religious side as the miracle-working leader of a cult that believed in the transmigration of souls (that "the soul of our grandam might haply inhabit a bird," as Shakespeare's Malvolio puts it in "Twelfth Night").”
“Boy! it was happy for thy grandam that she loved me not.”
“ Credibly; so grandsire, grandam alike did agree.”
“Khorii's grandsire and grandam were no less remarkable than her parents, both having recently returned from the dead.”
“The smallest boy or the most secluded grandam could tell you whether No. 32 had a hot-box last Tuesday, whether No. 7 was going to put on an extra day - coach; and the name of the president of the road was familiar to every breakfast table.”
“Now my grandam does it because she is parcel blind by age, and whole blind by kindred; and my master, the poor Dominie, does it to curry favour, and have the fullest platter of furmity and the warmest seat by the fire.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘grandam’.
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Quaintnesses
For those who wish no words were ever forgotten
opprobrium, tedium, encomium, odium, ire, enmity, beguile, wile, brazen, popinjay, squit, hoity-toity and 1161 more...
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ellis peters
clee, lungeous, precentor, chasseours, parfytours, privily, cotte, dortoir, centaury, cleavers, brazier, pricced and 42 more...
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Recently Encountered
Usually in literature. Words I'm not very familiar with, or needed to look up.
blowzy, maunch, brobdingnag, grandam, jocular, penury, tumulus, inveterate, surfeit, bruit, posterity, cynosure and 10 more...
Tweets
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madmouth Shakespearean for 'grandmother' Apr 24, 2009