mademoiselle

(mad′ə mə zel, mam zel; Fr mȧd mwȧ zel)

noun pl. mademoiselles, mesdemoiselles

  1. an unmarried woman or girl: French title equivalent to Miss: abbrev. Mlle or Mdlle
  2. a French governess
  3. silver perch (sense )

Origin: Fr < ma, my + demoiselle, young lady < OFr dameisele: see damsel

See mademoiselle in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun pl. Mad·e·moi·selles (-zĕlz) or Mes·de·moi·selles (mādˌmwä-zĕlˈ) Abbr. Mlle.
  1. Used as a courtesy title before the surname or full name of a girl or an unmarried woman in a French-speaking area: Mademoiselle Turot; Mademoiselle Isabelle Turot.
  2. mademoiselle Used as a form of polite address for a girl or young woman in a French-speaking area.
  3. mademoiselle pl. mademoiselles mademoiselles A French governess.
  4. mademoiselle pl. mademoiselle or mad·e·moi·selles See silver perch.

Origin:

Origin: French

Origin: , from Old French ma demoiselle

Origin: : ma, my; see Madame

Origin: + demoiselle, young lady (from damisele, from Vulgar Latin *dominicella, diminutive of Latin domina, lady; see Madame)

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