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Webster 1913 Edition

Lady

La′dy

(lā′dy̆)
,
Noun.
;
pl.
Ladies
(lā′dĭz)
.
[OE.
ladi
,
læfdi
, AS.
hlǣfdige
,
hlǣfdie
; AS.
hlāf
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
.
Shakespeare
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.
8.
(Zool.)
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 crab
(Zool.)
,
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.

La′dy

,
Adj.
Belonging or becoming to a lady; ladylike.
“Some
lady
trifles.”
Shakespeare

Webster 1828 Edition

Lady

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.

Definition 2024

Lady

Lady

See also: lady

English

Noun

Lady

  1. An aristocratic title for a woman; the wife of a lord and/or a woman who holds the position in her own right; a title for a peeress, the wife of a peer or knight, and the daughters and daughters-in-law of certain peers.
    Sir John Smith and Lady Smith.
    Would Lady Macbeth care for dessert?
  2. (Britain, birdwatching) Lady Amherst's pheasant.
  3. (Wicca) A high priestess.

Translations

Proper noun

Lady

  1. The title for the (primary) female deity in female-centered religions.
    My Lady, will you not take pity on me?
    1. (in particular) The major supernatural figurehead in the Wiccan religion, a triune goddess split into the Mother, Maiden, and Crone.
      • 2002, A.J. Drew, Wicca for Couples: Making Magick Together, page 90:
        ...different stages of life as represented by our Lady as Maiden, Mother, and Crone, as well as our Lord as Master, Father, and Sage.
      • 2003, Carl McColman, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Paganism, page 46:
        The Lord and the Lady Actually, when I say that Wicca is a Goddess tradition, I'm really only telling half of the story.
      • 2004, Aurora Greenbough, Cathy Jewell, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Spells and Spellcraft, page 9:
        The Lady is often thought of as having three aspects: Maiden, Mother, and Crone.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Coordinate terms

See also

lady

lady

See also: Lady

English

Noun

lady ‎(plural ladies)

  1. (historical)  The mistress of a household.
    • (Can we date this quote?) chapter 16, in Wycliffe Bible (Genesis):
      "he said to her, From whence comest thou Hagar, the servantess of Sarai (Sarai’s slave-girl), and whither goest thou? Which answered, I flee from the face of Sarai, my lady.”
  2. A woman of breeding or higher class, a woman of authority.
    • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 6, in The China Governess:
      ‘[…] I remember a lady coming to inspect St. Mary's Home where I was brought up and seeing us all in our lovely Elizabethan uniforms we were so proud of, and bursting into tears all over us because “it was wicked to dress us like charity children”. […]’.
    "I would like the dining room to be fully set by tonight; would you do so?" "Yes, my lady".‎
  3. The feminine of lord.
    • Lowell
      lord or lady of high degree
    • Shakespeare
      Of all these bounds, even from this line to this, […] / We make thee lady.
  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. (in the plural) A polite reference or form of address to women.
    • 1898, Winston Churchill, chapter 4, in The Celebrity:
      The Celebrity, by arts unknown, induced Mrs. Judge Short and two other ladies to call at Mohair on an afternoon when Mr. Cooke was trying a trotter on the track. The three returned wondering and charmed with Mrs. Cooke; they were sure she had had no hand in the furnishing of that atrocious house.
    Ladies and gentlemen, it is a pleasure to be here today. 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) A wife or girlfriend; a sweetheart.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Goldsmith to this entry?)
  12. A woman to whom the particular homage of a knight was paid; a woman to whom one is devoted or bound.
    • Waller
      The soldier here his wasted store supplies, / And takes new valour from his lady's eyes.
  13. (slang) A queen (the playing card).
  14. (dated, attributive, with a professional title) Who is a woman.
    A lady doctor.‎
  15. (Wicca) Alternative form of Lady.
  16. The triturating apparatus in the stomach of a lobster, consisting of calcareous plates; so called from a fancied resemblance to a seated female figure.
  17. (Britain, slang) A five-pound note. (Rhyming slang, Lady Godiva for fiver.)
  18. (slang) A woman’s breast.

Derived terms

  • Look at pages starting with lady.

Translations

References

See also

Statistics

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

French

Etymology

From English lady.

Noun

lady f ‎(plural ladys)

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

Italian

Etymology

Borrowing from English lady.

Noun

lady f ‎(invariable)

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

Middle English

Noun

lady (plural ladys)

  1. lady (important woman)

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, loaf”) + dīġe ‎(“maid”), related to Old English dǣġe ‎(“maker of dough”). Compare also lord. More at loaf, dairy, dough.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈleɪdi/
  • Rhymes: -eɪdi
  • Hyphenation: la‧dy

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