English

Alternative forms

• Mathilda

Proper noun

Matilda

1. A female given name.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene: III: iii: 13:

     But wondrously begotten, and begonne / By false illusion of a guilefull Spright, / On a faire Ladie Nonne, that whilome hight / Matilda, daughter to Pubidius,

   • 1844 George Payne Rainsford James, Rose D'Albret, Or, Troublous Times, a Romance, Harper [1844) page 20:

     Countess of Laussitz - Matilda, too, by the mark! A good name, a marvellous good name, is not, Algernon? Musical, pretty, soft, smoothing, loveable. - - - many a fair prospect is spoiled by the mistake in the name. Call Matilda Joan, or Louisa Deborah, and you are ruined forever!

   • 1990 Alice Munro, Friend of My Youth.Stories, ISBN 0679729577, page 187:

     At one time Joan invented other names for her. 'Matilda' brought to mind dingy curtains, gray tent flaps, a slack-skinned old woman. How about Sharon? Lilliane? Elizabeth? Then, Joan didn't know how, the name Matilda became transformed. It started shining like silver. The "il" in it was silver. But not metallic. In Joan's mind the name gleamed now like a fold of satin.

Related terms

• variants: Maud, Maude, Maudie
• pet forms: Mattie, Matty, Tilda, Tillie, Tilly

Translations

Noun

Matilda ‎(plural Matildas)

1. (Britain, army, historical) Either of two British infantry tanks in use during World War II, the Infantry Tank Mark I or Infantry Tank Mark II.

Synonyms

• (infantry tank): Matilda I, Matilda II

Faroese

Proper noun

Matilda f

1. A female given name

Usage notes

Matronymics

• son of Matilda: Matilduson
• daughter of Matilda: Matildudóttir

Declension

Finnish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmɑtildɑ]
• Hyphenation: Ma‧til‧da

Proper noun

Matilda

1. A female given name, cognate to English Matilda.

Declension

Related terms

• Tilda

Portuguese

Alternative forms

• Matilde

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ma.ˈt͡ʃiw.dɐ/

Proper noun

Matilda f

1. A female given name, equivalent to English Matilda

Slovak

Proper noun

Matilda f

1. A female given name.

Swedish

Alternative forms

• Mathilda

Proper noun

Matilda

1. A female given name, cognate to English Matilda.

Related terms

• Maud, Tilda, Tilde

English

Alternative forms

• Matilda

Noun

matilda ‎(plural matildas)

1. (Australia) A bundle of possessions, often tied up in a sack; a swag.
   • 1906, A. B. Paterson, On The Road to Gundagai, The Old Bush Songs, Gutenberg eBook #10493,

     In a week the spree was over and the cheque was all knocked down, / So we shouldered our “Matildas,” and we turned our backs on town, / And the girls they stood a nobbler as we sadly said “Good bye,” / And we tramped from Lazy Harry’s, not five miles from Gundagai;

   • 1999, Milton Finkelstein, Global geography,

     When a hobo roams through the outback with a matilda on his back, he is said to be “waltzing matilda.”

Derived terms

• waltz Matilda