lady

See also Lady

English

Wikipedia

Etymology

From Middle English lady, laddy, lafdi, lavedi, from Old English hlǣfdīġe (“mistress of a household, wife of a lord, lady”, literally “bread-kneader”), from hlāf (“bread”) + dīġe (“maid”), related to Old English dǣġe (“maker of dough”). Compare also lord. More at loaf, dairy, dough.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈleɪdi/, X-SAMPA: /"leIdi/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪdi
• Hyphenation: la‧dy

Noun

Wikipedia lady (plural ladies)

1. (historical) The mistress of a household.
2. A woman of breeding or higher class, a woman of authority.

   "I would like the dining room to be fully set by tonight; would you do so?" "Yes, my lady".

3. The feminine of lord.
4. A title for someone married to a lord.
5. A title for somebody married to a gentleman.
6. A title that can be used instead of the formal terms of marchioness, countess, viscountess, or baroness.
7. (polite or used by children) A woman: an adult female human.

   Please direct this lady to the soft furnishings department.

8. (Should we delete⁽⁺⁾ this redundant sense?) (in the plural) A polite form of address to women.

   Ladies and gentlemen, it is a pleasure to ...

   Follow me, ladies!

9. (slang) Used to address a female.

   Hey, lady, move your car!

10. (ladies' or ladies) Toilets intended for use by women.
11. (familiar) An affectionate term for one's wife or girlfriend.

    But soft, what light through yonder window breaks...? It is my lady, O it is my love! -Romeo and Juliet

12. (slang) A queen (the playing card).
13. (Should we delete⁽⁺⁾ this redundant sense?) (archaic, attributive, with a professional title) Who is a woman.

    A lady doctor.

14. (Wicca) Alternative form of Lady.

Derived terms

Terms derived from lady (noun)

bag lady charlady dragon lady the First Lady forelady gray lady ladies and gentlemen lady's bedstraw lady's eardrop lady's laces lady's man lady's mantle lady's slipper lady's thistle lady's thumb lady abbess lady beetle lady bird/lady-bird/ladybird Lady Bountifel lady bug/lady-bug/ladybug Lady Campbell lady chapel ladyclock lady crab Lady Day lady fern/lady-fern lady's finger ladyfinger lady friend Lady Godiva lady-in-waiting

lady killer, lady-killer, ladykiller ladylike ladylove Lady Macbeth strategy Lady McLeod lady of leisure lady of pleasure lady of the house lady of the night lady or tiger ladyship lady smock lady who lunches landlady leading lady lollipop lady lunch lady/lunch-lady/lunchlady m'lady/malady/milady naked lady no way to treat a lady old lady one fat lady Our Lady painted lady Pink Lady/pink lady saleslady Tupperware lady two fat ladies saleslady white lady young lady

• Look at pages starting with lady.

Translations

mistress of a household

• Arabic: ربة (ar) (rábba) f, ربة البيت (ar) (rábbat al-bayt), ربة المنزل (ar) (rábbat al-mánzil) f

  Egyptian Arabic: ست البيت (set il-bet) f, (formally) ربة منزل (rabet manzel) f

• Armenian: տանտիկին (hy) (tantikin)
• Irish: bantiarna (ga) f
• Latin: domina (la) f
• Macedonian: стопанка (mk) (stópanka) f, газдарица (mk) (gazdárica) f
• Old English: hlæfdige (ang) f

• Portuguese: ama (pt) f
• Romanian: doamnă (ro) f
• Russian: хозяйка (ru) (xozjájka) f
• Scottish Gaelic: baintighearna f
• Serbo-Croatian: gospodarica (sh), gazdarica (sh)
• Spanish: ama (es) f
• Swahili: msichana (sw)
• Zulu: inkosikazi (zu) 9/6

woman of breeding and authority

• Afrikaans: dame (af)
• Arabic: خاتون (ar) (xatūn) f, السيدة (ar) (al-sayyida) f

  Egyptian Arabic: هانم (hanem) f

• Aromanian: f
• Breton: itron f
• Cherokee: ᎠᎨᏴ (chr) (ageyv)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 女士 (cmn) (nǚshì), 貴婦 (cmn), 贵妇 (cmn) (guìfù)

• Cornish: arloedhes f
• Czech: dáma (cs) f
• Dutch: dame (nl) f
• Esperanto: sinjorino (eo)
• French: dame (fr) f
• Friulian: signore f, done f, dame f
• Georgian: ქალბატონი (ka) (kalbatoni)
• German: Dame (de) f
• Greek: κυρία (kuria) f

• Irish: bean uasal f, bantiarna f
• Italian: signora (it) f, dama (it) f
• Japanese: 婦人 (ja) (ふじん, fujin), レディ (ja) (redi), 淑女 (ja) (しゅくじょ, shukujo)
• Latin: domina (la) f
• Macedonian: дама (mk) (dáma) f
• Manx: benchiarn f
• Occitan: dòna (oc) f
• Old English: drihtlice (ang) f, ides (ang) f, freo (ang) f, hlæfdige (ang) f
• Polish: pani (pl) f, dama (pl) f
• Portuguese: senhora (pt) f, dona (pt) f, dama (pt) f
• Romanian: doamnă (ro)
• Russian: (indeclinable) леди (ru) (lédi) f, дама (ru) (dáma) f
• Scottish Gaelic: bean-uasal f, baintighearna f, bana-mhorair f
• Spanish: señora (es) f, dama (es) f
• Welsh: arglwyddes f, boneddiges f
• Zulu: inkosikazi (zu) 9/6

wife of a lord

• Afrikaans: haar ladyskap edele
• Arabic: ليدي (ar) (ledy) f

  Egyptian Arabic: ليدي (ledy) f

• Breton: itron f
• Cornish: arloedhes f
• Czech: dáma (cs) f
• Dutch: dame (nl) f
• Esperanto: lordedzino (eo)
• French: dame (fr) f, madame (fr) f
• German: Frau (de) f, Herrin (de) f, Dame (de) f
• Greek: λαίδη (el) (laídi) f
• Hungarian: úrnő (hu)
• Irish: bantiarna (ga) f
• Italian: signora (it) f
• Japanese: 夫人 (ja) (ふじん, fujin), レディ (ja) (redi)

• Latin: domina (la) f
• Macedonian: дама (mk) (dáma) f, леди (mk) (lédi) f
• Manx: benchiarn f
• Old English: drihtlice (ang) f, ides (ang) f, freo (ang) f, hlæfdige (ang) f
• Polish: pani (pl) f, lady (pl) f
• Portuguese: senhora (pt) f
• Romanian: lady (ro) f, doamnă (ro) f
• Russian: леди (ru) (lédi) f (indeclinable), дама (ru) (dáma) f, госпожа (ru) (gospožá) f, барыня (ru) (bárynja) f
• Scottish Gaelic: baintighearna f
• Spanish: señora (es) f
• Welsh: arglwyddes (cy) f
• Zulu: inkosikazi (zu) 9/6

polite term referring a woman

• Afrikaans: dame (af)
• Arabic: سيدة (ar) (sayyída) f, (my lady) سيدتي (ar) (sayyidáti), أستاذة (ar) (ʾustāḏa) f

  Egyptian Arabic: أستاذة (ʾostaza) f, مدام (madām) f

• Armenian: տիկին (hy) (tikin)
• Aromanian: f
• Breton: itron f
• Catalan: senyora
• Cherokee: ᎠᎨᏴ (chr) (ageyv)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 太太 (cmn) (tàitai), 夫人 (cmn) (fūren)

• Czech: dáma (cs) f
• Dutch: dame (nl) f
• French: dame (fr) f
• Friulian: signore f, done f, dame f
• German: Dame (de) f, meine Dame (de) f, Madam (de) f
• Greek: κυρία (el) (kyría) f
• Hebrew: גברת (he) (ge'veret) f
• Hindi: महिला (hi) (mahilā) f
• Hungarian: Hölgy (hu)
• Irish: bean uasal f

• Italian: signora (it) f, dama (it) f
• Japanese: 奥様 (ja) (おくさま, okusama), 貴婦人 (ja) (きふじん, kifujin)
• Latin: domina (la) f
• Macedonian: госпоѓа (mk) (góspoǵa) f
• Norwegian: dame (no)
• Occitan: dòna (oc) f
• Persian: خانم (fa) (xânom), مادام (fa) (mâdâm)
• Polish: pani (pl) f
• Portuguese: dama (pt) f
• Romanian: doamnă (ro) f
• Romansch: dunna (rm) f
• Russian: госпожа (ru) (gospožá) f, дама (ru) (dáma) f, мадам (ru) (madám) f (indeclinable), сударыня (ru) (sudárynja) f (obsolete)
• Scottish Gaelic: bean-uasal f
• Spanish: señora (es) f, dama (es) f
• Talysh:

  Asalemi: خنم (xanəm)

• Telugu: మహిళ (mahila)
• Volapük: läd (vo)
• Zulu: inkosikazi (zu) 9/6

toilets intended for use by women

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 女廁所 (cmn), 女厕所 (cmn) (nǚcèsuǒ)

• Dutch: damestoilet n
• German: Damentoilette f
• Hungarian: hölgyek, női mosdó, női WC

• Japanese: 女性用トイレ (ja) (joseiyō-toire)
• Macedonian: женски тоалет (mk) (žénski toalét) m
• Portuguese: damas (pt) f pl, elas (pt) f pl
• Romanian: dame (ro) f pl, femei (ro) f pl
• Russian: женский туалет (ru) (žénskij tualét) m

References

• Weisenberg, Michael (2000) The Official Dictionary of Poker. MGI/Mike Caro University. ISBN 978-1880069523

See also

• lord
• gentleman
• ladies' room
• broad

Statistics

• Most common English words before 1923: doubt · around · black · #413: lady · truth · turn · hold

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French

Etymology

From English

Noun

lady f (plural ladys)

1. lady (wife of a lord; important woman)

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Italian

Etymology

From English

Noun

lady f (invariable)

1. lady (wife of a lord; important woman)

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Middle English

Noun

lady (plural ladys)

1. lady (important woman)