Definitions

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

  • noun A Muslim woman of rank.
  • noun Used as a form of address for such a woman.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To daub or cover with gum.
  • noun The title of a Hindu princess or lady of high rank.

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

  • noun In the East Indies, a princess or lady of high rank.

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

  • noun a high ranking Muslim woman, especially in India and Pakistan
  • noun the form of address for such a woman

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

  • noun a Muslim woman of high rank in India or Pakistan

Etymologies

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

[Urdu begam, from East Turkic begüm, first person sing. possessive of beg, master, mistress; see bey.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Urdu بیگم and Hindi बेगम (begam, "lady"), from East Turkic begüm

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Examples

  • "T hink the word begum and you conjure up an image of a Nawabi woman who leads a disciplined life behind the veil.

    The Hindu - Front Page 2010

  • She just lifted her head high, like a great begum who had been deeply offended in her own home, and solemnly retreated to the kitchen.

    The Hundred-Foot Journey Richard C. Morais 2008

  • She just lifted her head high, like a great begum who had been deeply offended in her own home, and solemnly retreated to the kitchen.

    The Hundred-Foot Journey Richard C. Morais 2008

  • So simultaneously I remember my maternal grandmother Nazmi begum wife of late Daroga Nabban Saab of Pata Nala who would visit us and add the charm of LUcknow that we hardly knew I talk of circa 1955 .

    What is Shiasm? « bollywoods most wanted photographerno1 2008

  • She just lifted her head high, like a great begum who had been deeply offended in her own home, and solemnly retreated to the kitchen.

    The Hundred-Foot Journey Richard C. Morais 2008

  • She just lifted her head high, like a great begum who had been deeply offended in her own home, and solemnly retreated to the kitchen.

    The Hundred-Foot Journey Richard C. Morais 2008

  • Indian begum rolling in wealth, no countess mistress of castles and townhouses, ever had such a faithful toady as Hannah Hicks was to her mistress.

    The Newcomes 2006

  • It is the fourth week of school and the whining, excuses and excessive absenteeism has begum.

    Crimes and Misdemeanors Seeking Solace 2006

  • It is the fourth week of school and the whining, excuses and excessive absenteeism has begum.

    Archive 2006-02-01 Seeking Solace 2006

  • MacGarry, he was, hand to dagger, that time and their mother, a rawkneepudsfrowse, I was given to understand, with superflow-vius heirs, begum.

    Finnegans Wake 2006

Comments

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  • roughly synonymous to Mrs.

    June 25, 2009