first lady
3
3.5
- noun
- /fɜrst ˈleɪdi/
:
primera dama
- Patrick, this is Vera Charles, the first lady of the American theater.
- first lady of country music
Examples
-
Mrs. Milliken set the standard for the next generation of first ladies.
Blog text (24) -
Both first ladies were in attendance and well dressed.
Blog text (3) -
Joe's brought along his beautiful wife Marva, the first lady of colored America.
-
The first lady of Thai cinema, Petchara Chaowarat, is lovingly recognized by audiences for her sparkling "puppy dog eyes" and elaborate up-dos.
Blog text (32) -
Shirley Caesar, the first lady of gospel, has inspired millions with her powerful voice.
-
Ella Fitzgerald, often called the first lady of song, is celebrated for her remarkable jazz performances.
-
As the first lady of hip-hop, Queen Latifah has made significant contributions to the music industry.
Synonyms
215
2.1
A person or thing considered the best in its group
1
5.6
A woman who sings lead and is the public face of a band
A woman who goes first to lead a group, often in dangerous places
How Prominent
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning "most prominent or influential woman" is directly derivable from combining 'first' (preceding or most important) with 'lady' (a woman), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the MWE. The collocational use as a formal title (e.g., the president's wife) is a conventionalized application but does not obscure the basic compositional meaning; many languages have a comparable literal compound, supporting transparency.
Etymology
The phrase first lady grew from the same idea that first means the most important and lady means a respected woman, so people started to use it for a very famous or influential woman. That's why it now means 'the most prominent or influential woman in a particular field'.