schoolma'am
- noun
- /ˈskuːlˌmæm/
- Archaic
:
maestra
- Many children were afraid of the schoolma'am because she had high expectations and demanded respect from everyone.
Examples
-
Because women are mothers, they are "natural" teachers; but it was understood that schoolma'ams would first nurture the children of others, then marry and nurture their own.
Fiction book (1993) -
Chambers describes the bachelor girl with far less scorn, however, than she does the other type of single teacher, the "old maid" who is stereotyped as the spinster schoolma'am.
Fiction book (1993) -
The single schoolma'am can claim traditionally male prerogatives, symbolized by her purchase of goods that men buy for their wives, by the financial speculations she independently conducts, and by her unencumbered socializing and travel.
Fiction book (1993) -
The schoolma'am was known for her strict rules in the classroom, ensuring that every student learned their lessons well.
-
In the small town, the schoolma'am was a beloved figure, often offering after-school tutoring for those who struggled with their studies.
Synonyms
82
1.0
A person who helps children or teenagers learn at school
61
1.0
A person who works at a school and helps children learn
13
8.9
A woman who teaches in a school and is often strict
5
9.8
A woman schoolteacher who is strict and seen as old-fashioned
3
9.9
A school teacher in old British English
1
6.7
A woman who teaches at a school and is often strict
1
9.9
A friendly name for a woman teacher used by students
A woman who teaches skills or school subjects, now considered old-fashioned
How Strict
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Schoolma'am comes from the words school and ma'am, where ma'am is short for 'madam', so it originally meant a woman who works at a school. That's why today schoolma'am often describes a woman teacher who is seen as strict or old-fashioned.