- matronly
- adjective Date: 1656 having the character of or suitable to a matron
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
matronly
Look at other dictionaries:
Matronly — Ma tron*ly, a. 1. Advanced in years; elderly. [1913 Webster] 2. Like, or befitting, a matron; grave; sedate. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
matronly — 1580s (adv.), 1650s (adj.), from MATRON (Cf. matron) + LY (Cf. ly) (2). An earlier adjective was matron like (1570s) … Etymology dictionary
matronly — [adj] womanly dignified, female, honorable, ladylike, mature, motherly, respected, stately; concepts 404,555,574 … New thesaurus
matronly — [mā′trən lē] adj. of, like, characteristic of, or suitable for a matron; specif., a) dignified, sedate, etc. b) having a full figure, graying hair, etc. matronliness n … English World dictionary
matronly — 1. adjective a) In the way of a matron. The matronly woman cared for the sick orphan. b) Exuding authority, wisdom, power, and intelligence of an experienced woman. ...the matronly upper arms girls know about life and love and losing... Janeane… … Wiktionary
matronly — [[t]me͟ɪtrənli[/t]] ADJ GRADED You can use matronly to describe a woman who is fairly fat and looks middle aged, especially if you think the clothes she is wearing are not fashionable or attractive. ...a matronly woman with an air of authority … English dictionary
matronly — /ˈmeɪtrənli/ (say maytruhnlee) adjective of or befitting or characteristic of a matron regarded as typically staid, dignified, and having a full figure: a matronly voice; a matronly figure. –matronliness, noun …
matronly — ma|tron|ly [ˈmeıtrənli] adj used to describe a woman who is fairly fat and no longer young to avoid saying this directly ▪ a matronly woman of 50 … Dictionary of contemporary English
matronly — matron ► NOUN 1) a woman in charge of domestic and medical arrangements at a boarding school. 2) a dignified or staid married woman. 3) Brit., dated a woman in charge of nursing in a hospital. 4) chiefly US a female prison officer. DERIVATIVES… … English terms dictionary
matronly — matronliness, n. /may treuhn lee/, adj. 1. of, pertaining to, or having the characteristics of a matron; maturely dignified; stately. 2. characteristic of or suitable for a matron. [1650 60; MATRON + LY] * * * … Universalium
