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memsahib

American

[mem-sahb, mem-sah-ib, ‐hib, ‐heeb] / ˈmɛm sɑb, ˈmɛm sɑ ɪb, ‐hɪb, ‐hib /

noun

(formerly, in India) a term of respect for a married European woman.

memsahib British

/ -hɪb, ˈmɛmˌsɑːɪb /

noun

(formerly in India) a term of respect used of a European married woman

"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

Etymology

Origin of memsahib

First recorded in 1855–60; from Hindi, equivalent to mem (from English ma'am ) + sāhib “master” (from Arabic ṣāḥib )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

And would have, if the memsahib hadn’t shot me a glance that said, Dear, why don’t we move on from the heron?

From Forbes • Jun. 4, 2013

Deborah Kerr is very pukka memsahib, and Barry Nelson displays his boyish charm, though the patina of age has begun to dull it.

From Time Magazine Archive

I pretended to know what a memsahib is.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

"What memsahib?" he asked, his voice gruff with emotion.

From In Kali's Country Tales from Sunny India by Sheets, Emily Churchill Thompson

Yes, he had seen the memsahib, the soldier replied; he heard her order one of the sahib's muleteers to saddle her pony and she went toward Pal-khor Choide.

From Caravans By Night A Romance of India by Hervey, Harry

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023