Adjacent Words

Lady definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

LA'DY, n.
1. A woman of distinction. Originally, the title of lady was given to the daughters of earls and others in high rank, but by custom, the title belongs to any woman of genteel education.
2. A word of complaisance; used of women.
3. Mistress; the female who presides or has authority over a manor or a family.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a polite name for any woman; "a nice lady at the library helped me"
2: a woman of refinement; "a chauffeur opened the door of the limousine for the grand lady" [syn: dame, madam, ma'am, lady, gentlewoman]
3: a woman of the peerage in Britain [syn: Lady, noblewoman, peeress] [ant: Lord, noble, nobleman]

Merriam Webster's

noun (plural ladies) Usage: often attributive Etymology: Middle English, from Old English hl?fdige, from hl?f bread + -dige (akin to d?ge kneader of bread) — more at loaf, dairy Date: before 12th century 1. a. a woman having proprietary rights or authority especially as a feudal superior b. a woman receiving the homage or devotion of a knight or lover 2. capitalized Virgin Mary — usually used with Our 3. a. a woman of superior social position b. a woman of refinement and gentle manners c. woman, female — often used in a courteous reference <show the lady to a seat> or usually in the plural in address <ladies and gentlemen> 4. a. wife b. girlfriend, mistress 5. a. any of various titled women in Great Britain — used as the customary title of (1) a marchioness, countess, viscountess, or baroness or (2) the wife of a knight, baronet, member of the peerage, or one having the courtesy title of lord and used as a courtesy title for the daughter of a duke, marquess, or earl b. a woman who is a member of an order of knighthood — compare dame

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. (pl. -ies) 1 a a woman regarded as being of superior social status or as having the refined manners associated with this (cf. GENTLEMAN). b (Lady) a title used by peeresses, female relatives of peers, the wives and widows of knights, etc. 2 (often attrib.) a woman; a female person or animal (ask that lady over there; lady butcher; lady dog). 3 colloq. a a wife. b a man's girlfriend. 4 a ruling woman (lady of the house; lady of the manor). 5 (in pl. as a form of address) a female audience or the female part of an audience. 6 hist. a woman to whom a man, esp. a knight, is chivalrously devoted; a mistress. Phrases and idioms: find the lady = three-card trick. the Ladies (or Ladies') Brit. a women's public lavatory. ladies' chain a figure in a quadrille etc. ladies' fingers = OKRA (cf. lady's finger). Ladies' Gallery a public gallery in the House of Commons, reserved for women. ladies' (or lady's) man a man fond of female company; a seducer. ladies' night a function at a men's club etc. to which women are invited. ladies' room a women's lavatory in a hotel, office, etc. Lady altar the altar in a Lady chapel. Lady Bountiful a patronizingly generous lady of the manor etc. (a character in Farquhar's The Beaux' Stratagem). Lady chapel a chapel in a large church or cathedral, usu. to the E. of the high altar, dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Lady Day the Feast of the Annunciation, 25 Mar. lady-fern a slender fern, Athyrium filix-femina. lady-in-waiting a lady attending a queen or princess. lady-killer a practised and habitual seducer. lady-love a man's sweetheart. Lady Mayoress the wife of a Lord Mayor. Lady Muck sl. derog. a socially pretentious woman. lady of the bedchamber = lady-in-waiting. lady of easy virtue a sexually promiscuous woman; a prostitute. lady's bedstraw a yellow-flowered herbaceous plant, Galium verum. lady's companion a roll containing cottons etc. lady's finger 1 = kidney vetch. 2 = LADYFINGER (cf. ladies' fingers). lady's maid a lady's personal maidservant. lady's mantle any rosaceous plant of the genus Alchemilla with yellowish-green clustered flowers. lady-smock = cuckoo flower 1. lady's slipper any orchidaceous plant of the genus Cypripedium, with a usu. yellow slipper-shaped lip on its flowers. lady's tresses any white-flowered orchid of the genus Spiranthes. Lady Superior the head of a convent or nunnery in certain orders. my lady a form of address used chiefly by servants etc. to holders of the title 'Lady'. my lady wife joc. my wife. old lady colloq. 1 a mother. 2 a wife or mistress. Our Lady the Virgin Mary. Derivatives: ladyhood n. Etymology: OE hlæfdige f. hlaf LOAF(1) + (unrecorded) dig- knead, rel. to DOUGH): in Lady Day etc. f. OE genit. hlæfdigan (Our) Lady's

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lady La"dy, n.; pl. Ladies. [OE. ladi, l[ae]fdi, AS. hl?fdige, hl?fdie; AS. hl[=a]f loaf + a root of uncertain origin, possibly akin to E. dairy. See Loaf, and cf. Lord.] 1. A woman who looks after the domestic affairs of a family; a mistress; the female head of a household. Agar, the handmaiden of Sara, whence comest thou, and whither goest thou? The which answered, Fro the face of Sara my lady. --Wyclif (Gen. xvi. 8.). 2. A woman having proprietary rights or authority; mistress; -- a feminine correlative of lord. ``Lord or lady of high degree.'' --Lowell. Of all these bounds, even from this line to this, . . . We make thee lady. --Shak. 3. A woman to whom the particular homage of a knight was paid; a woman to whom one is devoted or bound; a sweetheart. The soldier here his wasted store supplies, And takes new valor from his lady's eyes. --Waller. 4. A woman of social distinction or position. In England, a title prefixed to the name of any woman whose husband is not of lower rank than a baron, or whose father was a nobleman not lower than an earl. The wife of a baronet or knight has the title of Lady by courtesy, but not by right. 5. A woman of refined or gentle manners; a well-bred woman; -- the feminine correlative of gentleman. 6. A wife; -- not now in approved usage. --Goldsmith. 7. (Zo["o]l.) The triturating apparatus in the stomach of a lobster; -- so called from a fancied resemblance to a seated female figure. It consists of calcareous plates. Ladies' man, a man who affects the society of ladies. Lady altar, an altar in a lady chapel. --Shipley. Lady chapel, a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Lady court, the court of a lady of the manor. Lady court, the court of a lady of the manor. Lady crab (Zo["o]l.), a handsomely spotted swimming crab (Platyonichus ocellatus) very common on the sandy shores of the Atlantic coast of the United States. Lady fern. (Bot.) See Female fern, under Female, and Illust. of Fern. Lady in waiting, a lady of the queen's household, appointed to wait upon or attend the queen. Lady Mass, a Mass said in honor of the Virgin Mary. --Shipley. Lady of the manor, a lady having jurisdiction of a manor; also, the wife of a manor lord. Lady's maid, a maidservant who dresses and waits upon a lady. --Thackeray. Our Lady, the Virgin Mary.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lady La"dy, a. Belonging or becoming to a lady; ladylike. ``Some lady trifles.'' --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lady La"dy` The day of the annunciation of the Virgin Mary, March 25. See Annunciation.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(ladies) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. You can use lady when you are referring to a woman, especially when you are showing politeness or respect. She's a very sweet old lady... ...a lady doctor. ...a cream-coloured lady's shoe. N-COUNT see also old lady 2. You can say 'ladies' when you are addressing a group of women in a formal and respectful way. Your table is ready, ladies, if you'd care to come through... Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. N-VOC [politeness] 3. A lady is a woman from the upper classes, especially in former times. Our governess was told to make sure we knew how to talk like English ladies. N-COUNT 4. In Britain, Lady is a title used in front of the names of some female members of the nobility, or the wives of knights. My dear Lady Mary, how very good to see you. N-TITLE 5. If you say that a woman is a lady, you mean that she behaves in a polite, dignified, and graceful way. His wife was great as well, beautiful-looking and a real lady... N-COUNT 6. People sometimes refer to a public toilet for women as the ladies. (BRIT INFORMAL) At Temple station, Charlotte rushed into the Ladies. N-SING: usu the N 7. 'Lady' is sometimes used by men as a form of address when they are talking to a woman that they do not know, especially in shops and in the street. (AM INFORMAL) What seems to be the trouble, lady?... N-VOC [politeness] 8. see also First Lady, Our Lady

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

la'-di: This word should be taken in the sense of "mistress" in Isa 47:5,7 (Hebrew gebhereth) (so the American Standard Revised Version). In Jud 5:29; Eat 1:18 it is the translation of another Hebrew word (sarah), best rendered "princess" (so the Revised Version (British and American) in Esther, but not in Judges). In 2 Joh 1:1,5 it is the translation of kuria, which some interpreters regard as a proper name.

See CYRIA; JOHN, THE EPISTLES OF; ELECT LADY.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Mistress, matron. 2. Woman of rank, woman of distinction. 3. Woman of refinement, well-bred woman. 4. Wife, spouse.

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

A crooked or hump-backed woman.

Moby Thesaurus

Dulcinea, Eve, Frau, Fraulein, Miss, Mistress, Mlle, Mme, Mmes, acceptable person, archduchess, baroness, best girl, better half, capital fellow, common-law wife, concubine, countess, dame, daughter of Eve, diamond, distaff, domina, dona, donna, dowager, dream girl, duchess, faithful, feme, feme covert, femme, frow, galantuomo, gem, gentilhomme, gentleman, gentlewoman, gill, girl, girl friend, good fellow, good lot, good man, good person, good sort, good woman, goodwife, goody, grand duchess, helpmate, helpmeet, honest man, honest woman, inamorata, jewel, jill, jo, khanum, lady love, lass, lassie, madam, madame, mademoiselle, man of honor, marchioness, margravine, married woman, matron, mem-sahib, mensch, mesdames, milady, mistress, noblewoman, old lady, old woman, pearl, peeress, perfect gentleman, perfect lady, persona grata, prince, real lady, real man, rib, right sort, rough diamond, senhora, senhorita, signora, signorina, squaw, straight shooter, true blue, truepenny, trusty, viscountess, vrouw, wahine, weaker vessel, wedded wife, wife, woman, woman of honor, worthy

Moby Thesaurus

Eminence, Grace, Her Excellency, Her Highness, Her Ladyship, Her Majesty, Highness, His Lordship, His Majesty, Honor, Imperial Highness, Imperial Majesty, Ladyship, Lord, Lordship, Majesty, My Lady, My Lord, Reverence, Royal Highness, Royal Majesty, Serene Highness, Worship, Your Lordship, milady, milord