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Mad·am

(mădəm)

n. Abbr. Mdm.

1. pl. Mes·dames (mā-dăm, -däm) Used formerly as a courtesy title before a woman's given name but now used only before a surname or title indicating rank or office: Madam Ambassador.

2. Used as a salutation in a letter: Dear Madam or Sir.

3. madam Used as a form of polite address for a woman: Right this way, madam.

4. madam The mistress of a household.

5. madam A woman who manages a brothel.

[Middle English madame, from Old French ma dame; see MADAME.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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