Added 5 October 2026
beldame
/ˈbɛldəm/ noun
Latin root: bellus Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about beldame at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A grandmother.
- An old woman, particularly an ugly one.
Origin
Inherited from late (1400–1450) Middle English beldame, beldam, from Middle English bel (“attractive, fine, good”) (from Old French bel (“beautiful”), from Latin bellus) + dame, dam (“a mother, lady”), itself ultimately from Latin domina (“a mistress, lady”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)