Madonna

[ muh-don-uh ]

noun

1. Usually the Madonna. the Virgin Mary.
2. a picture or statue representing the Virgin Mary.
3. Archaic. Often madonna. an Italian title of formal address to a woman.

Madonna

¹

/ məˈdɒnə /

noun

1. Madonna1958FUSMUSIC: rock singerFILMS AND TV: actress full name Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone. born 1958, US rock singer and film actress. Her records include "Like a Virgin" (1985), "Like a Prayer" (1989), Ray of Light (1998), Music (2000), and MDNA (2012). Her films include Desperately Seeking Susan (1985) and Evita (1996)

Madonna

²

/ məˈdɒnə /

noun

1. RC Church a designation of the Virgin Mary
2. sometimes not capital a picture or statue of the Virgin Mary

Madonna

¹

1. An American pop singer known for her many incarnations, ranging from an early “Material Girl” to a movie star ( Evita ) to a mother and wife. Many consider Madonna a promotional genius for her ability to reinvent herself.

Madonna

²

1. A work of art depicting Mary, the mother of Jesus , especially one that shows her holding the infant Jesus ; also a term for Mary herself. Madonna is Italian for “my lady.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of Madonna¹

First recorded in 1575–85; from Italian, from Old Italian ma donna “my lady”; donna ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of Madonna¹

C16: Italian, from ma my + donna lady

Example Sentences

If some stars reached a career cruising altitude where they were identified by just one name — Prince, Madonna, Sting — Jones boiled it down to a single letter: Q.

From Los Angeles Times

Others helped her secure her first DJ sets in Chicago, initially as Lady Foursquare, then The Black Madonna.

From BBC

Kylie has successfully walked that tightrope for five decades, something that fellow pop icon Madonna acknowledged when she asked her to duet on stage in Los Angeles this March.

From BBC

“So she becomes Madonna over the course of the first three, then ‘Like a Prayer’ consolidates it,” Koenig says.

From Los Angeles Times

Christopher Ciccone — the younger brother of Madonna and an artist in his own right — died on Friday at the age of 63.

From Salon

Related Words

• madame