femme

See also fem

English

Etymology

Used in Middle English, from Old French fame et al. The modern spelling is under the influence of Middle and Modern French femme.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /fɛm/

Noun

femme (plural femmes)

1. (archaic, rare) A woman, a wife, particularly in heraldry.
   • 1885, Richard Burton, The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Night 18:

     Then I turned to him and said, "O my lord, I have that to propose to thee wherein thou must not cross me; and this it is that, when we reach Baghdad, my native city, I offer thee my life as thy handmaiden in holy matrimony, and thou shalt be to me baron and I will be femme to thee."

2. (slang, LGBT) A feminine lesbian, especially one who is attracted to masculine (butch) lesbians.

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French

Etymology

Latin femina. Various spellings such as feme, fame and fenme were used in Old French.

Pronunciation

• audio

  (file)

• IPA: /fam/
• Rhymes: -am

Noun

femme f (plural femmes)

1. woman
2. wife

Synonyms

• épouse (cognate to spouse)

Antonyms

• (female): homme
• (wife): mari
• (wife): époux (cognate to spouse)

Related terms

• femelle
• féminin
• femmelette

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Middle French

Etymology

Latin femina. Various spellings such as feme, fame and fenme were used in Old French.

Noun

femme f (plural femmes)

1. wife
2. woman (female adult human being)

Synonyms

• (woman): dame

Descendants

• French: femme

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Old French

Noun

femme f (oblique plural femmes, nominative singular femme, nominative plural femmes)

1. woman (female adult human being)