old lady

American  

noun

Informal.

old ladies plural

1. a mother, usually one's own.

2. a wife.

3. a girlfriend or female lover, especially a female lover with whom one cohabits.

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old lady British  

noun

1. an informal term for mother 1 wife

2. a large noctuid moth, Mormo maura, that has drab patterned wings originally thought to resemble an elderly Victorian lady's shawl

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• old ladies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of old lady

First recorded in 1775–85

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

old lady

"I can live to an old lady with these kidneys and that is phenomenal. My heart's much better, my lungs much better. My blood disorder is no longer there," she said.

From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026

But if she, a towering scholar of Yiddish literature, assumes the pose of a little old lady, don’t be fooled.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

“Those last scenes with me looking like a lonely old lady walking hunched over in the garden? Boy, I told him to get rid of those,” she said, referring to the documentary’s director, R.J.

From Salon ● Apr. 16, 2026

“A Friend of Dororthy,” meanwhile, is centered on a cute old lady who will warm your heart.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 11, 2026

“Her name is Magic,” the old lady says.

From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya

Related Words

• bride
• lover
• spouse
• wife