belle dame sans merci en · NOUN
Etymology
From French belle dame sans merci (literally “beautiful woman without mercy”). La Belle Dame sans Merci is the title of a ballad produced by the English poet John Keats in 1819; this was derived from the title of a 15th-century poem by Alain Chartier, La Belle Dame sans Mercy.
Meanings
- A beautiful woman who seduces a man and then consigns him to an unpleasant fate.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| belles dames sans merci | Number=Plur | lexicographic |