beldam

[ bel-duh m, -dam ]

/ ˈbɛl dəm, -dæm /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR beldam ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

an old woman, especially an ugly one; hag.

Obsolete. grandmother.

Words nearby beldam

belaying cleat, belaying pin, belaúnde, belch, beld, beldam, beleaguer, belection, belemnite, belemnoid, belfast

Also bel·dame

[bel-duh m, -deym] /ˈbɛl dəm, -ˌdeɪm/.

Origin of beldam

1400–50; late Middle English, equivalent to bel- grand- (< Middle French bel, belle fine; see beau, belle) + dam mother (see dam²)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for beldam

The beldam caught her cue readily and by innuendo, without giving Lady Ashton the pain of distinct explanation.
Bride of Lammermoor|Sir Walter Scott
The beldam sat with her face towards Rodolph and the brigand.
The Mysteries of Paris, Volume 1 of 6|Eugne Sue
Was the beldam an enchantress, and were these little animals children, whom she had stolen and made victims of her enchantments?
ZigZag Journeys in Northern Lands;|Hezekiah Butterworth
"He's only doing it to make sure I'm not a beldam," said Gwen innocently.
When Ghost Meets Ghost|William Frend De Morgan

"Sir Robert has himself written me about that beldam," said the chamberlain.
Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland|Various

British Dictionary definitions for beldam

beldam

beldame

/ (ˈbɛldəm) /

noun

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

an obsolete word for grandmother

Word Origin for beldam

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

beldam

noun

Words related to beldam

Words nearby beldam

Origin of beldam

Examples from the Web for beldam

British Dictionary definitions for beldam

beldame

noun

Word Origin for beldam