Madonna

[ muh-don-uh ]
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noun
  1. Usually the Madonna . the Virgin Mary.

  2. a picture or statue representing the Virgin Mary.

  1. Archaic.Often madonna . an Italian title of formal address to a woman.

Origin of Madonna

1
First recorded in 1575–85; from Italian, from Old Italian ma donna “my lady”; see origin at donna

Words Nearby Madonna

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How to use Madonna in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for Madonna (1 of 2)

Madonna1

/ (məˈdɒnə) /


noun
  1. mainly RC Church a designation of the Virgin Mary

  2. (sometimes not capital) a picture or statue of the Virgin Mary

Origin of Madonna

1
C16: Italian, from ma my + donna lady

British Dictionary definitions for Madonna (2 of 2)

Madonna2

/ (məˈdɒnə) /


noun
  1. 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)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for Madonna (1 of 2)

Madonna

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

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.”

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.