Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun Used as a form of polite address for a woman.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A common colloquial contraction of madam, used especially in answers, after
yes and no, or interrogatively, when one expects or has not distinctly heard a question. - noun At the British Court it is used, instead of ‘madam,’ in addressing the queen or a royal princess.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun Madam; my lady; -- a colloquial contraction of
madam often used in direct address, and sometimes as an appellation.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A contracted form of
madam
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a woman of refinement
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Anyone in harness to her Majesty in one form or another learns to use the term 'ma'am' as in 'charm' or sometimes as in 'jam'.
The Guardian World News Kim Willsher 2011
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Although we do hear about how distressing it is to be called "ma'am" by a bartender at a "Nineties" party held by ironic hipsters.
Erika Milvy: "Marga Gomez Is Not Getting Any Younger" Extended Erika Milvy 2011
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Although we do hear about how distressing it is to be called "ma'am" by a bartender at a "Nineties" party held by ironic hipsters.
Erika Milvy: "Marga Gomez Is Not Getting Any Younger" Extended Erika Milvy 2011
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Although we do hear about how distressing it is to be called "ma'am" by a bartender at a "Nineties" party held by ironic hipsters.
Erika Milvy: "Marga Gomez Is Not Getting Any Younger" Extended Erika Milvy 2011
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• The queen is referred to as "your majesty" on the first greeting; in subsequent references, she is to be called "ma'am."
Lisa Mirza Grotts: Royal Boot Camp: 16 Days and Counting Lisa Mirza Grotts 2011
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Although we do hear about how distressing it is to be called "ma'am" by a bartender at a "Nineties" party held by ironic hipsters.
Erika Milvy: "Marga Gomez Is Not Getting Any Younger" Extended Erika Milvy 2011
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Although we do hear about how distressing it is to be called "ma'am" by a bartender at a "Nineties" party held by ironic hipsters.
The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com Erika Milvy 2011
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⢠The queen is referred to as "your majesty" on the first greeting; in subsequent references, she is to be called "ma'am."
Lisa Mirza Grotts: Royal Boot Camp: 16 Days and Counting Lisa Mirza Grotts 2011
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The next minute, I find myself in the studio with all these amazing people, and--"wham bam thank you ma'am"--now we've got an album coming out in September.
Mike Ragogna: From LP1 to a Sky Full Of Holes: Chatting with Joss Stone and Fountains Of Wayne, plus The Beau Brummels' Bradley's Barn (audio) Mike Ragogna 2011
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The next minute, I find myself in the studio with all these amazing people, and--"wham bam thank you ma'am"--now we've got an album coming out in September.
Mike Ragogna: From LP1 to a Sky Full Of Holes: Chatting with Joss Stone and Fountains Of Wayne, plus The Beau Brummels' Bradley's Barn (audio) Mike Ragogna 2011
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