Definitions

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

  • noun Used as a courtesy title before the surname or full name of a girl or an unmarried woman in a French-speaking area.
  • noun Used as a form of polite address for a girl or young woman in a French-speaking area.
  • noun A French governess.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A French governess: used as ‘Fräulein’ is used for a German governess.
  • noun Formerly, in France, the title of any woman, married or single, who was not of the nobility, and of noble married women whose husbands had not been knighted: also, when used absolutely, or without a name, the distinctive title of the eldest daughter of the next brother of the king (who was in like manner called Monsieur), and afterward of the first princess of the blood, whoever was her father.
  • noun A distinctive title given to girls and unmarried women in France, equivalent to Miss: abbreviated in writing to Mlle., pl.
  • noun A sciænoid fish, the yellowtail or silver perch, Bairdiella chrysura.

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

  • noun A French title of courtesy given to a girl or an unmarried lady, equivalent to the English Miss.
  • noun (Zoöl.) A marine food fish (Sciæna chrysura), of the Southern United States; -- called also yellowtail, and silver perch.

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

  • noun small silvery drumfish often mistaken for white perch; found along coasts of United States from New York to Mexico

Etymologies

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

[French, from Old French ma demoiselle : ma, my; see Madame + demoiselle, young lady (from damisele, from Vulgar Latin *dominicella, diminutive of Latin domina, lady; see Madame).]

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Examples

  • So, for example, you could not only study child psychology rather than regular psychology, you could, to paraphrase an article in Mademoiselle from the late 1940s, study the psychology of a man coming home from work after a hard day, hot and tired, and how to deal with him.

    Girls Gone Studious 2007

  • So, for example, you could not only study child psychology rather than regular psychology, you could, to paraphrase an article in Mademoiselle from the late 1940s, study the psychology of a man coming home from work after a hard day, hot and tired, and how to deal with him.

    Girls Gone Studious 2007

  • This spark of a first story, “Homecoming,” was originally published in Mademoiselle magazine and featured unique artwork (which is here reproduced on the cover of the book) by a then relatively unknown artist by the name of Charles Addams.

    “From the Dust Returned” by Ray Bradbury (William Morrow, 2001) « The BookBanter Blog 2010

  • This spark of a first story, “Homecoming,” was originally published in Mademoiselle magazine and featured unique artwork (which is here reproduced on the cover of the book) by a then relatively unknown artist by the name of Charles Addams.

    2010 February 12 « The BookBanter Blog 2010

  • "Mademoiselle is serious," persisted the young man, bowing and grimacing.

    Bliss, and Other Stories 1920

  • The dolls behaved irreproachably, with which their owner was rather inclined to twit Hugh, when, just at the end of the banquet, greatly to his satisfaction, a certain Mademoiselle Zéphyrine, a blonde with flaxen ringlets and turquoise blue eyes, suddenly toppled over, something having no doubt upset her equilibrium, and fell flat on her nose on the table.

    The Tapestry Room: A Child's Romance 1893

  • I called Mademoiselle was seated out upon the veranda.

    Mademoiselle of Monte Carlo William Le Queux 1895

  • Domaske's fashion label Mademoiselle Chi Chi -- a favorite among the likes of Mischa Barton and Ashlee Simpson -- has now started weaving the milk fiber into its collection.

    Reuters: Press Release 2011

  • Domaske's fashion label Mademoiselle Chi Chi -- a favorite among the likes of Mischa Barton and Ashlee Simpson -- has now started weaving the milk fiber into its collection.

    Yahoo! News: Business - Opinion 2011

  • Domaske's fashion label Mademoiselle Chi Chi -- a favorite among the likes of Mischa Barton and Ashlee Simpson -- has now started weaving the milk fiber into its collection.

    Reuters: Press Release 2011

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