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matron
[ mey-truhn ]
/ ˈmeɪ trən /
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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.
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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-/, adjectivema·tron·hood, ma·tron·ship, nounWords nearby matron
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use matron in a sentence
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 hospitalOfficial name: nursing officer
Derived forms of matron
matronal, adjectivematronhood or matronship, nounmatron-like, adjectiveWord Origin for matron
C14: via Old French from Latin mātrōna, from māter mother
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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