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lady

lady

790 2.5
A woman who has a noble title in Britain, for example the wife or female partner of a lord
  • noun
  • /ˈleɪdi/
  • UK
translation icon : dama
  • In Britain, a lady may hold a title that reflects her noble status or lineage.
  • lady of high rank

And he says I brought her Lady Lilith just like you asked.

Examples

  • Perhaps the first lady will continue her own career during her years in the White House.

    Academic text (1998)
  • The expression in the eyes of the lady of the house did not change.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The lady who lives here is an old friend of your dad's.

  • My dear, you are about to suffer what no young lady should have to endure.

  • Presidential scholars tend to view the role of the first lady rather broadly.

    Academic text (1998)
  • Ladies and gentlemen, the First Lady of New York, Cathleen Hostetler.

  • Incidentally, there never has been a published biography of the lady from Kentucky, a work now long overdue.

    Academic text (2012)
  • The lady of the manor welcomed her guests with grace and charm.

  • At the gala, the distinguished lady caught everyone's attention with her elegant gown.

Synonyms

countess
vslady
114 6.9

A woman with a noble title, for example the wife of a count

is a general peerage label rather than this particular noble rank
peer
vslady
  • UK
48 8.6

A noble person with a title who sits in the House of Lords

is the specifically British female title group within that peerage system
baroness
vslady
20 7.5

A woman who has the title of baron or is married to a baron

is the general peerage term that covers many specific ranks including this one
duchess
vslady
19 5.5

A woman of high noble rank, often the wife of a duke

is the broad peerage term that does not specify rank level
noblewoman
vslady
2 5.8

A woman from a high social class who has a title

is the specific formal peerage title rather than general noble status
viscountess
vslady
1 9.9

A woman with a noble title who is married to a viscount or who holds the same title herself

is the wider category name that includes this narrower title
grand duchess
vslady
  • Formal
1 8.2

A royal woman with high rank who is the wife of a grand duke or holds the title herself

is a general peerage descriptor rather than this high specific title
marquise
vslady
1 9.9

A woman of high social rank below a duchess and above a countess

is the British general peerage term, not this foreign specific rank
peeress
vslady
  • UK
9.9

A woman who has a noble title, often in Britain, or a woman whose husband was a noble

is a broader, more general term for women holding peerage rank
7.0

A woman from a high social class with a family title

is limited to women who specifically hold peerage titles

Idioms

8.6

To act toward a woman without respect

Compounds

487 1.0

A girl or young woman in her teens to early twenties

379 3.0

The wife of a president or other top government leader

little lady
  • Informal
61 4.4

A woman or girl spoken to in a warm, slightly old-fashioned way

lady friend
  • Informal
40 3.7

A woman who is in a romantic relationship with a man

old lady
  • Slang
36 8.8

An informal word men use for their wife or girlfriend

cleaning lady
  • Informal
27 1.0

A woman who cleans houses or offices for pay

little old lady
  • Informal
24 4.2

An older woman who seems gentle and harmless

19 3.1

An actress who plays the main female role in a play or film

A woman who runs the home and cares for the family

cat lady
  • Offensive
8 7.3

A woman who owns many cats and often seems socially awkward

bag lady
  • Offensive
5 8.2

A homeless woman who carries her things in shopping bags

A woman who helps and looks after a queen or princess

3 7.0

A man who is very charming and attracts many women

3 3.5

A very famous and respected woman in a field like music or theatre

2 8.6

A woman who sells sex for money

A woman with no paid job and a lot of free time

1 9.2

A woman who sells sex for money

Iron Lady
  • Literature
1 6.5

A nickname for Margaret Thatcher, the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, known for her strict leadership

1 8.4

A Christian festival on March 25 that celebrates an angel telling Mary she will have a baby

1 1.8

A small round beetle with bright spots that eats small insects that harm plants

A woman who gives money and help to others but looks down on them

Iron Lady
  • Literature
1 7.2

A nickname for a woman political leader, not only Margaret Thatcher, seen as strong and strict

1 9.0

A plant that grows tall flower stalks after its leaves die back

1 6.7

A sweet pink cocktail made with gin, brandy, and grenadine

1 9.9

A woman who has sex for money, used in older books

An orchid with small yellow flowers that look like tiny dancers

A small crab with spots on its shell that lives on the coasts of England

A plant with delicate feathery leaves that grows in cool mountain areas

A small crab with a bright, spotted shell that lives on sandy east coast beaches of the United States

lady abbess
  • Formal
9.8

A woman who leads an abbey or convent

A small room in a church used for prayer and dedicated to Mary, the mother of Jesus

9.9

A woman who works as a prostitute

lady palm
  • Specialized
6.6

A small indoor plant with many thin, fan-shaped leaves

lady slipper
  • Specialized
9.9

A wild North American orchid with a pouch-shaped lower petal that is hard to grow in gardens

lady tulip
  • Specialized
8.7

A small tulip with thin stems and flowers marked by a darker base

8.4

A small crab with bright purple spots on its shell that lives on sandy Atlantic beaches

7.7

A common fern with soft feathery leaves often grown in shaded gardens

9.9

The private area of a woman between her legs

7.8

A man who many women find very attractive and who often takes advantage of them

A famous English nurse who cared for soldiers at night and carried a lamp during the Crimean War

A bush with pale, sweet-smelling flowers that open at night

A wild orchid with a large pouch-shaped lower petal like a slipper

7.0

A woman who helps children cross the road near a school while holding a stop sign

A Roman Catholic religious group that dates from the 1100s and is devoted to the Virgin Mary and prayer

A pale pink wild orchid with a pouch-like lower petal

slender lady palm
  • Specialized
9.0

A Chinese palm with thinner stems and leaves than the common lady palm

A type of orchid with a yellow pouch-shaped lip and dark red-brown petals

Surface Forms

lady singular
ladies plural

Etymology

Lady comes from an old English word made of hlaf 'bread' and dige 'kneader', so it first meant the woman who made or served bread in a household. Because that role was important, lady became a title for a woman of rank, and it is related to lord, which also started from a word for 'loaf'.