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

Ergo, the UK’s beloved Dame was also our kind of dame.

From Salon

The respected English dame “passed away peacefully” early Friday in a London hospital, her sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, said in a statement to The Times.

From Los Angeles Times

Wilson, who was made a dame in 2008, has never shied away from writing about difficult and dark issues.

From BBC

“And then just when I thought the very notion of dating or holding another hand was repulsive ... I met that crazy dame over there.”

From Los Angeles Times

“Look at these dames, how cute are they?”

From New York Times