madam en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
- [ˈmædəm] ~ [ˈmædm̩]
- /ˈmeɪdəm/ (obsolete)
- [ˈmeɪdəm] (obsolete)
- /mɐˈdam/ (Philippines, colloquial, nonstandard)
- /ˈmædəm/
- [mɐˈdam] (Philippines, colloquial, nonstandard)
Etymology
From Middle English madame, from Old French madame, from ma (“my”) + dame (“lady”), from post-classical Latin mea domina. Doublet of Madonna.
Meanings
-
A polite form of address for a woman or lady.
“[…] This size, madam!” Certainly, the mesdames would not have been interested.
1987, Navasilu, page 81:I leaned on the hoe, in classic pose, and watched the cowbird try to bust his buttons in that agonizing split whistle which is his serenade to the madam. Perhaps I should say to the mesdames, for this fellow is the Don Juan of the feathered world, with no moral standards and a distinct aversion to anything that resembles domestic ties.
1951 April, John H. Day, “The Breath of April”, in Pennsylvania Game News, volume XXII, number 1, Pennsylvania Game Commission, page 27, column 1:After two years, Madam X was busy enough to take on a partner: Madam Z, aged twenty. Both regularly scouted new marks and told Stead that ‘nurse girls’ (nannies) were the best: ‘there are any number in [the parks] every morning and all are virgins’. Selling maidenhoods was their speciality. ‘Our gentlemen want maids,’ they said, ‘not damaged articles.’ ‘Come,’ he said to the mesdames, ‘what do you say to delivering me five [girls] on Saturday next? . . . Could you deliver me a parcel of maids, for me to distribute among my friends?’ Within a fortnight, the Mesdames had supplied Stead with seven girls between the ages of fourteen and eighteen.
2012, Bridget O’Donnell, Inspector Minahan Makes a Stand: The Missing Girls of England, Picador, →ISBN:Mrs Grey wondered if the outfit she was trying on made her look fat. The sales assistant just said, “It suits you, madam”.
“Nothing, madam, but a tumbler of wine with a little water—thank you, madam. Mesdames, great events have occurred since I left you.”
1857, Charles Reade, White Lies. A Story., volume I, London: Trübner & Co., […], page 276:Later, Mrs Grey was sitting in her favourite tea shop. “Would madam like the usual cream cakes and patisserie with her tea?” the waitress asked.
- The mistress of a household.
-
(colloquial) A conceited or quarrelsome girl.
Selina kept pushing and shoving during musical chairs. The nursery school teacher said she was a bad-tempered little madam.
-
(slang) A woman who runs a brothel, particularly one that specializes in finding prostitutes for rich and important clients.
After she grew too old to work as a prostitute, she became a madam.
I sneaked into the house and stole my sister’s Hudson-seal fur coat out of the closet, then I beat it down to a whorehouse and sold it to the madam for $150.
1946, Milton “Mezz” Mezzrow, Bernard Wolfe, “Quit Foolin’ with That Comb”, in Really the Blues, New York, N.Y.: Random House, book 1 (1899–1923: A Nothin’ but a Child), page 54:
- (India, derogatory, slang) A hated or contemptuous woman; used as a general term of abuse
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| madame | alternative | lexicographic | |
| mesdames | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| madams | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Coordinates
sir · master · pimp · man · gentleman · m'lord · m'lady · miss · mister · brothel-keeper
Deriveds
Madam and Eve · Madam President · troll madam · madamish · dear Sir or Madam · madamji · bemadam · madamhood
Descendants
Relateds
mademoiselle · madame · ma'am · m'lady
Synonyms
bawd · lady · abbess · woman · brothelkeeper · lady abbess · mistress · nookie-bookie · dame · whoremistress · matron
Translations (178)
chr ᎠᎨᏴ (polite term of address to a woman) · tk hanym (polite term of address to a woman) · el τσατσά (woman who manages a brothel) · cmn 夫人 (polite term of address to a woman) · fr tenancière d’une maison close (woman who manages a brothel) · bg мада́м (woman who manages a brothel) · th คุณนาย (polite term of address to a woman) · be па́ні (polite term of address to a woman) · az madam (polite term of address to a woman) · ota قادین (mistress of a household) · cmn 太太 (polite term of address to a woman) · fi rouva (polite term of address to a woman) · my ရှင် (polite term of address to a woman) · tr mama (woman who manages a brothel) · yue 夫人 (polite term of address to a woman) · th มาม่า (woman who manages a brothel) · nl mevrouw (polite term of address to a woman) · es mami (woman who manages a brothel) · el ματρώνα (woman who manages a brothel) · enm dame (polite term of address to a woman) · yi מומע (woman who manages a brothel) · sq zonjë (polite term of address to a woman) · nn frue (polite term of address to a woman) · he גברת \ גְבֶרֶת (polite term of address to a woman) · ru суда́рыня (polite term of address to a woman) · ro madam (polite term of address to a woman) · ru ба́рыня (polite term of address to a woman) · fr souteneuse (woman who manages a brothel) · ar سَيِّدَتِي (polite term of address to a woman) · sk pani (polite term of address to a woman) · ps مېرمن (polite term of address to a woman) · yi פֿראַו (polite term of address to a woman) · et proua (polite term of address to a woman) · km លោកស្រី (polite term of address to a woman) · bg мада́ма (woman who manages a brothel) · kk ханым (polite term of address to a woman) · sv frun (polite term of address to a woman) · pt madama (polite term of address to a woman) · km អ្នកស្រី (polite term of address to a woman) · vec siora (polite term of address to a woman) · mn ᠬᠠᠲᠤᠭᠲᠠᠢ (polite term of address to a woman) · fa-ira خانُم (polite term of address to a woman) · th แหม่ม (polite term of address to a woman) · yue 太太 (polite term of address to a woman) · dng тэтэ (polite term of address to a woman) · ms puan (polite term of address to a woman) · sv bordellmamma (woman who manages a brothel) · ka ქალბატონი (polite term of address to a woman) · fr madame (polite term of address to a woman) · tr madam (polite term of address to a woman) · fa-ira مادام (polite term of address to a woman) · be спада́рыня (polite term of address to a woman) · nn horemamma (woman who manages a brothel) · kea nha (polite term of address to a woman) · yue 女士 (polite term of address to a woman) · hi महोदया (polite term of address to a woman) · bn শ্রীমতী (polite term of address to a woman) · nl hoerenmadam (woman who manages a brothel) · zu inkosikazi (polite term of address to a woman) · cs bordelmamá (woman who manages a brothel) · pt cafetina (woman who manages a brothel) · enm lady (polite term of address to a woman) · ko 아씨 (polite term of address to a woman) · it padrona di casa (mistress of a household) · mi whae (polite term of address to a woman) · pl królewna (conceited girl) · hu hölgyem (polite term of address to a woman) · it signora (polite term of address to a woman) · kmr xanim (polite term of address to a woman) · bg госпожа́ (polite term of address to a woman) · ur بانُو (polite term of address to a woman) · be мада́м (polite term of address to a woman) · prs مَادَام (polite term of address to a woman) · ko 아가씨 (polite term of address to a woman) · es cabrona (woman who manages a brothel) · pt madama (mistress of a household) · ur مَہِیلا (polite term of address to a woman) · ug خانىم (polite term of address to a woman) · bg мада́м (polite term of address to a woman) · id nyonya (polite term of address to a woman) · eu andere (polite term of address to a woman) · th คุณหญิง (polite term of address to a woman) · ur مَیڈَم (polite term of address to a woman) · ur صاحِبَہ (polite term of address to a woman) · lo ມາດາມ (polite term of address to a woman) · sv damen (polite term of address to a woman) · ar أُسْتَاذَة (polite term of address to a woman) · ro doamnă (polite term of address to a woman) · lv kundze (polite term of address to a woman) · ja 奥さん (polite term of address to a woman) · la lēna (woman who manages a brothel) · my ဒေါ် (polite term of address to a woman) · mk госпоѓа (polite term of address to a woman) · da frue (polite term of address to a woman) · nb horemamma (woman who manages a brothel) · bg господа́рка (mistress of a household) · is frú (polite term of address to a woman) · pl pani (polite term of address to a woman) · ar مَدَام (polite term of address to a woman) · kk мадам (polite term of address to a woman) · ru мада́м (polite term of address to a woman) · lt ponia (polite term of address to a woman) · uz madam (polite term of address to a woman) · ota قادین (polite term of address to a woman) · sh го̏спођа (polite term of address to a woman) · uz xonim (polite term of address to a woman) · pl bajzelmama (woman who manages a brothel) · fi matami (woman who manages a brothel) · vi cô (polite term of address to a woman) · cmn 女士 (polite term of address to a woman) · pt madame (polite term of address to a woman) · ky айым (polite term of address to a woman) · ky мадам (polite term of address to a woman) · cs paní (polite term of address to a woman) · sh gȍspođa (polite term of address to a woman) · uk мада́м (polite term of address to a woman) · ota سیده (polite term of address to a woman) · tg хонум (polite term of address to a woman) · th แม่เล้า (woman who manages a brothel) · bg госпо́жо (polite term of address to a woman) · az mama roza (woman who manages a brothel) · ko 아줌마 (polite term of address to a woman) · pt senhora (polite term of address to a woman) · sl gospa (polite term of address to a woman) · fa-ira بانو (polite term of address to a woman) · nb bordellmamma (woman who manages a brothel) · bn ঠাকরূণ (polite term of address to a woman) · pt madame (mistress of a household) · eo sinjorino (polite term of address to a woman) · hu asszonyom (polite term of address to a woman) · fr mère maquerelle (woman who manages a brothel) · ug خېنىم (polite term of address to a woman) · fr tenancière (woman who manages a brothel) · de Bordellwirtin (woman who manages a brothel) · fr maquerelle (woman who manages a brothel) · eo bordelistino (woman who manages a brothel) · hi साहिबा (polite term of address to a woman) · de Fräulein (polite term of address to a woman) · nb frue (polite term of address to a woman) · hy տիկին (polite term of address to a woman) · tg бону (polite term of address to a woman) · vec ciacolona (conceited girl) · tr efendim (polite term of address to a woman) · de Frau (polite term of address to a woman) · it madama (woman who manages a brothel) · th มาม่าซัง (woman who manages a brothel) · el κυρία (polite term of address to a woman) · ru госпожа́ (polite term of address to a woman) · ota سیده (mistress of a household) · hi श्रीमती (polite term of address to a woman) · es señora (polite term of address to a woman) · de Puffmutter (woman who manages a brothel) · prs بَانُو (polite term of address to a woman) · tr hanımefendi (polite term of address to a woman) · kmr madam (polite term of address to a woman) · ps بېګم (polite term of address to a woman) · prs خَانُم (polite term of address to a woman) · ja 奥様 (polite term of address to a woman) · enm madame (polite term of address to a woman) · id puan (polite term of address to a woman) · my ခင်ဗျာ (polite term of address to a woman) · hi बानू (polite term of address to a woman) · mn хатагтай (polite term of address to a woman) · az xanım (polite term of address to a woman) · ar سَيِّدَة (polite term of address to a woman) · zu unkosikazi class 1a/2a (polite term of address to a woman) · ru да́ма (polite term of address to a woman) · zu uma class 1a/2a (polite term of address to a woman) · vi bà (polite term of address to a woman) · pl burdelmama (woman who manages a brothel) · el μαντάμ (woman who manages a brothel) · vi chị (polite term of address to a woman) · az qəhbəbaşı (woman who manages a brothel) · nn bordellmamma (woman who manages a brothel) · vec ciacola (conceited girl) · uz bekam (polite term of address to a woman) · uk па́ні (polite term of address to a woman) · ru хозя́йка (mistress of a household)