matronly

[mey-truh n-lee]

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adjective

of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a matron; maturely dignified; stately.

characteristic of or suitable for a matron.

Nearby words

Origin of matronly

First recorded in 1650–60; matron + -ly

Related formsma·tron·li·ness, noun

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

Examples from the Web for matronly

“Surely we never can have such luck as to sit at the same tea table with her,” indicating the matronly actress.
Dorothy Dale in the City|Margaret Penrose
Hilda Marsh—Hilda the blooming, the full bosomed, the matronly.
Monday or Tuesday|Virginia Woolf
She had been clear before, and secure; but he felt now the added weight of her matronly authority.
Adrienne Toner|Anne Douglas Sedgwick
A rush candle was burning within and a matronly looking woman sat before the fire.
The Pearl Story Book|Various

Mrs. Larabee slipped back into the soft and matronly sea of pink chiffon from which she had momentarily arisen.
Plowing On Sunday|Sterling North

British Dictionary definitions for matronly

matronly

adjective

of, characteristic of, or suitable for a matron; staid and dignified in a manner associated with a middle-aged, usually plump, woman

Derived Formsmatronliness, noun

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

Word Origin and History for matronly