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n. pl. Mes·dames (mā-dăm, -däm) Abbr. Mme 1. Used as a courtesy title before the surname or full name of a woman, especially a married woman, in a French-speaking area: Madame Cartier; Madame Jacqueline Cartier. See Usage Note at miss2. 2. madame Used as a form of polite address for a woman in a French-speaking area. [French, from Old French ma dame : ma, my (from Latin mea, feminine of meus; see me-1 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots) + dame, lady (from Latin domina, feminine of dominus, lord, master of a household; see dem- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots).] |
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