dame

[ deym ]

noun

1. (initial capital letter) (in Britain)
   1. the official title of a female member of the Order of the British Empire, equivalent to that of a knight.
   2. the official title of the wife of a knight or baronet.
2. (formerly) a form of address to any woman of rank or authority.
3. a matronly woman of advanced age; matron.
4. Slang: Sometimes Offensive. a term used to refer to a woman:

   Some dame cut me off and almost caused an accident.

5. Ecclesiastical. a title of a nun in certain orders.
6. a mistress of a dame-school.
7. Archaic. the mistress of a household.
8. Archaic. a woman of rank or authority, especially a female ruler.

dame

¹

/ deɪm /

noun

1. (formerly) a woman of rank or dignity; lady
2. a nun who has taken the vows of her order, esp a Benedictine
3. archaic.
   a matronly or elderly woman
4. slang.
   a woman
5. Also calledpantomime dame the role of a comic old woman in a pantomime, usually played by a man

Dame

²

/ deɪm /

noun

1. the title of a woman who has been awarded the Order of the British Empire or any of certain other orders of chivalry
2. the legal title of the wife or widow of a knight or baronet, placed before her name Compare Lady

   Dame Judith

Sensitive Note

Dame is sometimes perceived as insulting when used to refer generally to a woman, unless it is a woman of rank or advanced age.

Word History and Origins

Origin of dame¹

1175–1225; Middle English < Old French < Latin domina, feminine of dominus lord, master

Word History and Origins

Origin of dame¹

C13: from Old French, from Latin domina lady, mistress of a household

Example Sentences

There’s a lot to learn about that ice, says lunar exploration scientist Clive Neal of the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.

From Science News

Pack earplugsGiving Notre Dame back her unique voiceAI can guide us — or just entertainWord findExplore the science of music with interactives from PBS.

From Science News For Students

Portland also re-signed both Anfernee Simons and Jusuf Nurkić, who should help Dame carry the offensive load.

From FiveThirtyEight

Cody Smith, who studies neural biology at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, was well aware that the heart was packed with nerve cells.

From Science News

Each of these approaches has strengths and limitations, says Tracy Kijewski-Correa, a disaster risk engineer at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.

From Science News

“This is campaign activity,” said Lloyd Hitoshi Mayer, a law professor and associate dean at the University of Notre Dame.

From The Daily Beast

Over a glass (or more) of port, we toast to the Queen…and Dame Judi Dench.

From The Daily Beast

Dame Diana Rigg, who plays Lady Olenna Tyrell in Game of Thrones, has turned tales of critical bashing into a delightful play.

From The Daily Beast

Both are graduate students in biology at the University of Notre Dame.

From The Daily Beast

But a study out of Notre Dame this month appears to offer some support for the much-maligned tests.

From The Daily Beast

But "the cards never forgive," and as a rule Dame Fortune is relentless to the reckless player.

From Project Gutenberg

Dame Dorothy Packington sent the trusty and well beloved Thos.

From Project Gutenberg

In a flash Isabel had responded with a challenge of appeal, which that accomplished dame was quick to understand.

From Project Gutenberg

Here the proud state that claimed him as her own offspring, met him with the injustice of a malignant step-dame.

From Project Gutenberg

At all events, we have nothing but this minister-general between us and Notre-Dame.

From Project Gutenberg