Adjacent Words

Madonna definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics [syn: Mary, Virgin Mary, The Virgin, Blessed Virgin, Madonna]
2: United States pop singer and sex symbol during the 1980s (born in 1958) [syn: Madonna, Madonna Louise Ciccone]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Italian, from Old Italian ma donna, literally, my lady Date: 1584 1. archaic lady — used as a form of respectful address 2. obsolete an Italian lady 3. a. Virgin Mary b. an artistic depiction (as a painting or statue) of the Virgin Mary 4. a morally pure and chaste woman

Britannica Concise

In Christian art, a depiction of the Virgin Mary. Though often shown with the infant Jesus, the Madonna (Italian: "My lady") may also be represented alone. Byzantine art was the first to develop a set of Madonna types--the Madonna and child enthroned, the Madonna as intercessor, the Madonna nursing the child, and so on. Western art adapted and added to the Byzantine types during the Middle Ages, producing images of the Virgin that sought to inspire piety through beauty and tenderness. In the Renaissance and Baroque periods, the most popular image of the Madonna foreshadowed the crucifixion, showing the Virgin looking gravely away from the playful child. U.S. pop singer, songwriter, and actress. Born in Bay City, Mich., she studied dance at the Univ. of Michigan, and later with M. Graham and A. Ailey in New York. She released her first single, "Everybody," in 1982. Her first two albums, Madonna (1983) and Like a Virgin (1984), were among the most popular of the 1980s. Her provocatively sexual showmanship made her one of the most controversial figures in pop. Her films have included Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), Dick Tracy (1990), and Evita (1996). In Christian art, a depiction of the Virgin Mary. Though often shown with the infant Jesus, the Madonna (Italian: "My lady") may also be represented alone. Byzantine art was the first to develop a set of Madonna types--the Madonna and child enthroned, the Madonna as intercessor, the Madonna nursing the child, and so on. Western art adapted and added to the Byzantine types during the Middle Ages, producing images of the Virgin that sought to inspire piety through beauty and tenderness. In the Renaissance and Baroque periods, the most popular image of the Madonna foreshadowed the crucifixion, showing the Virgin looking gravely away from the playful child. U.S. pop singer, songwriter, and actress. Born in Bay City, Mich., she studied dance at the Univ. of Michigan, and later with M. Graham and A. Ailey in New York. She released her first single, "Everybody," in 1982. Her first two albums, Madonna (1983) and Like a Virgin (1984), were among the most popular of the 1980s. Her provocatively sexual showmanship made her one of the most controversial figures in pop. Her films have included Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), Dick Tracy (1990), and Evita (1996).

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. Eccl. 1 (prec. by the) a name for the Virgin Mary. 2 (usu. madonna) a picture or statue of the Madonna. Phrases and idioms: madonna lily the white Lilium candidum, as shown in many pictures of the Madonna. Etymology: It. f. ma = mia my + donna lady f. L domina

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Madonna Ma*don"na, n. [It. madonna my lady. See Dame, Donna, and cf. Madame, Monkey.] 1. My lady; -- a term of address in Italian formerly used as the equivalent of Madame, but for which Signora is now substituted. Sometimes introduced into English. --Shak. 2. [pl. Madonnas (n[.a]z).] A picture of the Virgin Mary (usually with the babe). The Italian painters are noted for drawing the Madonnas by their own wives or mistresses. --Rymer.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Catholics and other Christians sometimes call Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, the Madonna. N-PROPER: the N

Moby Thesaurus

Dei Mater, Deipara, Holy Mary, Immaculate Conception, Mariolatry, Mariology, Mother of God, Notre Dame, Our Lady, Queen of Angels, Queen of Heaven, Regina Angelorum, Regina Coeli, Sancta Virgo Virginum, Stella Maris, Theotokos, Virgin Most Glorious, Virgin Most Merciful, Virgin Most Powerful, Virgin Most Renowned, Virgin Most Venerable, Virgin Most Wise, Virgo Clemens, Virgo Gloriosa, Virgo Potens, Virgo Praedicanda, Virgo Sapientissima, Virgo Sponsa Dei, Virgo Veneranda, mater dolorosa, the Blessed Virgin, the Sorrowful Mother, the Virgin, the Virgin Mary, the Virgin Mother