beldame
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈbɛlˌdeɪm/
- Slur
- Everyone in the village referred to her as the beldame because of her unkind demeanor and age.
Examples
-
After that, it's the Beldame at Belmont and then on to the Breeders' Cup.
Blog text (18) -
The hospice to which they drove, Angel of Mercy, occupied a respectable three-story house in a reasonably decent part of Tampa, and its manager was no frowsy beldame in a man's sweater.
Fiction book (1994) -
When he saw some old beldame deep in drink, how he cozened her.
-
"Then leave me to be evil in peace!" the beldame shrieked, flying from her chair to shove him back.
Fiction book (2000) -
In less time than it takes to tell, the blacksmith and the beldame had set up a long board-and-sawhorse trestle, covering it with a white cloth.
Fiction book (1994) -
My father's secretary is one of my favorite people, a charming beldame with an ill-fitting gray wig and a penchant for naughty jokes.
Fiction book (1992) -
The old beldame frightened the children with her strange appearance and sharp voice.
-
The witch in the story was described as a beldame, feared by all for her wicked ways.
Synonyms
948
4.1
A woman believed to have magical powers in stories
12
9.5
An old woman in stories who is often seen as ugly and frightening
3
9.9
An unpleasant, bossy older woman who scolds people
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Etymology
Beldame comes from Old French belle dame meaning 'beautiful lady', but people later used the phrase in a mocking way for an old or frightening woman. The dame part is the same as the English 'dame', and that's why beldame now means an old, often scary woman, like a witch.