matron
[ mey-truh n ]
/ ˈmeɪ trən /
noun
a married woman, especially one who is mature and staid or dignified and has an established social position.
a woman who has charge of the domestic affairs of a hospital, prison, or other institution.
a woman serving as a guard, warden, or attendant for women or girls, as in a prison.
Origin of matron
1350–1400; Middle English
matrone < Latin
mātrōna a married woman, wife, derivative of
māter mother
OTHER WORDS FROM matron
ma·tron·al [mey-truh-nl, ma-] /ˈmeɪ trə nl, ˈmæ-/, adjective ma·tron·hood, ma·tron·ship, nounWords nearby matron
Example sentences from the Web for matron
British Dictionary definitions for matron
matron
/ (ˈmeɪtrən) /
noun
a married woman regarded as staid or dignified, esp a middle-aged woman with children
a woman in charge of the domestic or medical arrangements in an institution, such as a boarding school
US
a wardress in a prison
British
the former name for the administrative head of the nursing staff in a hospital
Official name: nursing officer
Derived forms of matron
matronal, adjective matronhood or matronship, noun matron-like, adjectiveWord Origin for matron
C14: via Old French from Latin
mātrōna, from
māter mother