beldam

bel·dam

or bel·dame  (bĕl′dəm, -dăm)

n.

An old woman, especially one who is considered ugly.

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[Middle English, grandmother : bel, indicating respect (from Old French bel, fine, from Latin bellus; see deu- in Indo-European roots) + dame, lady; see dame.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

beldam

(ˈbɛldəm) or

beldame

n

1. archaic an old woman, esp an ugly or malicious one; hag

2. an obsolete word for grandmother

[C15: from bel- grand (as in grandmother), from Old French bel beautiful, from Latin bellus + dam mother, variant of dame]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

bel•dam

(ˈbɛl dəm, -dæm)

also bel•dame

(-dəm, -ˌdeɪm)

n.

an old woman, esp. an ugly one; hag.

[1400–50; late Middle English: grandmother <bel- grand- (< Middle French bel fine; see belle) + dam mother (see dam ²]

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	beldam - an ugly evil-looking old woman   beldame, crone, hag, witch old woman - a woman who is old
	2.	beldam - a woman of advanced age     beldame old woman - a woman who is old

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

beldam

or beldame
noun

An ugly, frightening old woman:

crone, hag, witch.

Slang: biddy.

Archaic: trot.

The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.