madam

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“
Major Crawford's family could go back even of their first settling in America, and the madam was a proud old Virginian with a fortune, but she wanted only one son, and she had three and one daughter.

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Definitions (10)

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  1. My lady; lady: originally a formal term of address to a lady (a woman of rank or authority, or the mistress of a household); now a conventional term of address to women of any degree, but chiefly to married and matronly women. After another word or a phrase it is colloquially contracted into ma'am, mam, vulgarly marm, mum, m'm, or 'm: as, yes, ma'am; no, ma'am (vulgarly yes'm, no'm); thauk you, ma'am. It is ful fair to been yclept madame, And goon to vigilyes al bifore, And have a mantel roialliche ybore. Chaucer, Gen. Prol. to C. T., l. 376. I was the mistress o' Pitfan, And madam o' Kincraigie. Gight's Lady (Child's Ballads, VIII. 286). Sly. What must I call her? Lord. Madam. Sly. Al'ce madam, or Joan madam? Lord. Madam, and nothing else; so lords call ladies. Shak., T. of the S., Ind., 2. 111. That is Madam Lucy—my master's mistress's maid. Sheridan, Rivals, i. 1. Take, Madam, this poor book of song. Tennyson, To the Queen.
  2. A title used to designate women under the rank of Lady, but moving in respectable society; prefixed to a surname, equivalent to Mrs. Compare mistress. Good people all, with one accord, Lament for Madam Blaize. Goldsmith, Elegy on Mrs. Mary Blaize. Here [in Plymouth, Massachusetts] and in some neighbouring places it has been and still [1807] is the practice to prefix to the name of a deceased female of some consideration, as the parson's, the deacon's, or the doctor's wife, the title of madam. E. A. Kendall, Travels, II. 44. (Pickering.)
  3. See the quotation. The use mentioned is not uncommon in all parts of the United States. The title of Madam is sometimes given here [in Boston], and generally in… the South, to a mother whose son has married, and the daughter-in-law is then called “Mrs.” By this means they avoid the inelegant phraseology of “old Mrs. A,” or the Scotch “Mrs. A, senior.” Sir C. Lyell, Second Visit, ix. (Bartlett.)
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Examples (50)

  • This madam was a woman of wealth and position, and well pleased with the freedom of the slave. —  A Woman's Life-Work
  • I draw no lines of demarcation Well, madam, that is a noble work, and God will bless you in it. —  A Woman's Life-Work
  • You betray us all He paused in his laughter long enough to say softly, almost in triumph, ;Aye, madam, that is so. —  And when Elric had told his three lies to Cymoril, his betrothed, and had set his ambitious cousin Yyrkoon as Regent on the Ru
  • Is there a room for me, I wonder They were quite delighted, madam, at the idea of seeing you again Drive on, then. —  St. Peter’s Finger - Gladys Mitchell - Bradley 09: 1938
  • The night has had its suspicious element, madam, and I wondered whether you were safe Yes, thank you, George. —  St. Peter’s Finger - Gladys Mitchell - Bradley 09: 1938
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Etymologies (2)

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. = Dutch madam (used ironically) = German madam = Danish madame = Swedish madam = Spanish Portuguese madama, from French madame (orig. ma dame) = Italian madonna, orig. mia donna (see madonna), from Latin mea domina, my lady: mea (later F. ma = Italian mia), fem, of meus (accusative meum, later F. mon = Italian mio), my, from me = English me; domina, lady, mistress: see dame. Cf. madame.
  2. from madam, n.
 

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