matron

English

Etymology

From Middle English matrone, from Old French matrone, from Latin mātrōna (“married woman”), from māter (“mother”). Doublet of matrona.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmeɪtɹən/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪtɹən

Noun

matron (plural matrons)

1. A mature or elderly woman.
   • 1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=I to XI):

     grave from her cradle, insomuch that she was a matron before she was a mother

2. A wife or a widow, especially, one who has borne children.
3. A woman of staid or motherly manners.
   • c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii], page 146, column 2:

     But there’s no bottome, none / In my Voluptuouſneſſe : Your Wiues, your Daughters, / Your Matrons, and your Maides, could not fill vp / The Ceſterne of my Luſt, and my Deſire / All continent Impediments would ore-beare / That did oppoſe my will.

   • 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter IX, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:

     “A tight little craft,” was Austin’s invariable comment on the matron; and she looked it, always trim and trig and smooth of surface like a converted yacht cleared for action. ¶ Near her wandered her husband, orientally bland, invariably affable, […].

4. A housekeeper, especially, a woman who manages the domestic economy of a public institution.
5. A senior female nurse in an establishment, especially a hospital or school.

   the matron of a school or hospital

6. (US) A female prison officer.

Derived terms

• bridesmatron
• jury of matrons
• matronage
• matronal
• matronhood
• matronism
• matronize
• matronlike
• matronliness
• matronly
• matron of honor
• matron of honour
• matronship
• ooh, matron
• undermatron

 

Related terms

• matrix
• matrona
• matroneum

 

Translations

mature or elderly woman

• Bulgarian: матрона f (matrona)
• Dutch: matrone (nl) ?
• Finnish: emäntä (fi) (mature), eukko (fi) (elderly)
• French: matrone (fr) f
• Latin: matrōna f
• Norman: matronne f (Jersey)
• Polish: matrona (pl) f
• Romanian: matroană (ro) f
• Russian: матро́на (ru) f (matróna)
• Scottish Gaelic: brèideach f
• Spanish: matrona (es) f

wife or a widow, especially, one who has borne children

• Finnish: emäntä (fi)

woman of staid or motherly manners

• Finnish: matroona

housekeeper

• Dutch: directrice (nl) ?, hoofdverpleegster (nl) ?
• Esperanto: intendantino
• Finnish: taloudenhoitaja (fi) (housekeeper, m or f), taloudenhoitajatar (housekeeper, f); emäntä (fi) (f)
• Russian: эконо́мка (ru) f (ekonómka)

senior female nurse

• Bulgarian: старша сестра f (starša sestra)
• Finnish: ylihoitaja (fi) (head nurse)

female prison officer

• Bulgarian: надзирателка f (nadziratelka)

References

“matron”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• Marton, Morant, Rotman, romant