different between madam vs signora

English

Alternative forms

• madame

Etymology

From Middle English madame, from Old French madame, from ma (“my”) + dame (“lady”), from post-classical Latin mea domina.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?mæd.?m/

Noun

madam (plural madams)

1. (dated in the UK) A polite form of address for a woman or lady.

   Mrs Grey wondered if the outfit she was trying on made her look fat. The sales assistant just said, “It suits you, madam”.

   Later, Mrs Grey was sitting in her favourite tea shop. “Would madam like the usual cream cakes and patisserie with her tea?” the waitress asked.

2. The mistress of a household.
3. (colloquial) A conceited or quarrelsome girl.

   Selina kept pushing and shoving during musical chairs. The nursery school teacher said she was a bad-tempered little madam.

4. (slang) A woman who runs a brothel, particularly one that specializes in finding prostitutes for rich and important clients.

   After she grew too old to work as a prostitute, she became a madam.

Synonyms

• (polite form of address): dame, woman, lady, matron, mistress
• (woman who runs a brothel): abbess (archaic), bawd, lady abbess, nookie-bookie, whoremistress, (female) brothel-keeper

Coordinate terms

• (polite form of address): sir, gentleman
• (woman who runs a brothel): pimp (mostly for males), brothel-keeper

Related terms

• madame
• ma'am

Translations

Verb

madam (third-person singular simple present madams, present participle madaming, simple past and past participle madamed)

1. (transitive) To address as "madam".
   • 1905, William Clark Russell, The Yarn of Old Harbour Town (page 208)

     He bowed to me, he madamed me, he was throughout as gentlemanlike and respectful as I had ever found him when we met at Old Harbour House or in Old Harbour Town.

   • 1988, Gahan Wilson, Eddy Deco's Last Caper (page 123)

     "I don't care," she said. "They'll be dead in a few minutes if you'll just do your job. Stop madaming me and get to work."

See also

• pimp
• pimping

Anagrams

• Damma, damma, ?amma

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French madame.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ma??d?m/
• Hyphenation: ma?dam
• Rhymes: -?m

Noun

madam f (plural madammen or madams, diminutive madammeke n or madammeken n or madammetje n)

1. madam, lady
2. madam, female counterpart of a pimp

Derived terms

• kakmadam

Descendants

• Afrikaans: madam

Middle English

Noun

madam

1. Alternative form of madame

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From French madame.

Noun

madam m (definite singular madammen, indefinite plural madammer, definite plural madammene)

1. madam

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From French madame.

Noun

madam f (definite singular madamma, indefinite plural madammer, definite plural madammene)

1. madam

Turkish

Etymology

Borrowed from French madame.

Noun

madam (definite accusative madam?, plural madamlar)

1. madam

Declension

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian signora.

Noun

signora (plural signoras)

1. Mrs; madam; title of address or respect for women in Italy.

Anagrams

• agrions, ignaros, soaring

Italian

Etymology

From Medieval Latin seni?ra, feminine form of senior (“lord”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /si???o.ra/
• Hyphenation: si?gnó?ra

Noun

signora f (plural signore)

1. female equivalent of signore.
2. lady

   Synonyms: dama, (archaic) donna, lady

3. A title of address for women; madam (ladies is used for the plural)

   Synonym: (regional) gna

4. (used as a salutation in a letter) Madam (plural Mesdames)

See also

• signore
• signorina

Anagrams

• insorga