dame

noun

1
: a woman of rank, station, or authority: such as
a
archaic : the mistress of a household
b
: the wife or daughter of a lord
c
: a female member of an order of knighthood
used as a title prefixed to the given name
2
a
informal : an elderly woman : matron
b
US slang, old-fashioned : woman
a classy dame

Examples of dame in a Sentence

She was made a dame the year before she died. as the grand dames of local society, they determined which charities received support
Recent Examples on the Web Ringwald’s Carson also strikes a kooky, California contrast with the Manhattan swans — both more humble and more out-there than the East Coast grand dames like Lee Radziwill (Calista Flockhart) and Slim Keith (Diane Lane). Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 My favorite is the Hotel Splendide Royal, a Bele Epoque grand dame on the lakefront. Everett Potter, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 The original grand dame on the island, Eden Rock–St Barths hasn’t lost an ounce of glamor in its 70 years—and looks better than ever thanks to a major two-year renovation after the hurricane. Lane Nieset, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Jan. 2024 Warsaw Ballroom, 1450 Collins Ave., 531-4555: The reigning grand dame of South Beach gay clubs. Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 Feb. 2024 Yet the small, 68-room Mollie feels like the chill alternative to these grand dames, a modern throwback to when Aspen was still an in-the-know mountain town. Elise Taylor, Vogue, 11 Jan. 2024 The unofficial grand dame of Americana returns after a 2020 stroke that took the guitar from her hands but left her vocals as sassy, vulnerable and distinctively drawled as ever. Greg Carannante, Sun Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2024 Cristallo Resort & Spa When art nouveau grand dame Cristallo Resort & Spa emerges from hibernation in late 2024, it will be rebranded as a Mandarin Oriental — the group’s first alpine resort — in plenty of time to welcome guests for the 2026 Olympics. Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 23 Dec. 2023 Where to Stay The Fairmont Empress in Victoria is the grand dame of the island’s hotels. Zoe Baillargeon, Vogue, 15 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dame.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin domina, feminine of dominus master; akin to Latin domus house — more at dome

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dame was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near dame

Cite this Entry

“Dame.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dame. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

dame

noun
: a woman of rank, station, or authority: as
a
archaic : the mistress of a household
b
: the wife or daughter of a lord
c
: a female member of an order of knighthood
used as a title before a given name
Etymology

Middle English dame "a woman of rank or authority, lady," from early French dame (same meaning), from Latin domina "mistress, lady," feminine form of dominus "master, owner" — related to damsel, dominate, don entry 2, madam, madonna, prima donna

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