matronly

English

WOTD – 11 December 2011

Etymology

From matron +‎ -ly.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmeɪtɹənli/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Adjective

matronly (comparative more matronly, superlative most matronly)

1. In the capacity of a matron; serving as a housekeeper or head nurse.

   The matronly woman cared for the sick orphan.

2. Exuding the authority, wisdom, power, and intelligence of an experienced woman.
   • c. 1977, Janeane Garofalo, a skit

     the matronly upper arms girls know about life and love and losing

3. Having the appearance of a mature woman, often of larger physical stature and somewhat unkempt or dowdy.
   • 27 April 2009, LA Times [1]

     Gone is her matronly gray frizzy hair and those bushy brows, frumpy frock and old lady pearls.

Translations

in the capacity of a matron

• Finnish: äidillinen (fi)
• German: matronenhaft
• Spanish: matronal

exuding authority, wisdom, power, and intelligence of an experienced woman

• Finnish: äidillinen (fi)
• Spanish: please add this translation if you can

having the appearance of a mature woman

• Finnish: tätimäinen (fi)
• Spanish: please add this translation if you can

Adverb

matronly (comparative more matronly, superlative most matronly)

1. In the manner of a matron.
   • 1906, Gertrude Stein, Three Lives, page 166:

     The mother dressed matronly, in a bonnet and in black, always sat between her two big daughters, firm, directing, and repressed.

   • 2004, Irene Kai, The golden mountain: beyond the American dream, →ISBN, page 214:

     She was the same height and weight as Mother and had the same hairdo and dressed matronly like her. It was scary. She looked so much like Mother.

   • 2011 May 25, Kellianne Sweeny, The One That Got Away, →ISBN, page 106:

     “I had to dress matronly to get the position. I've had trouble with that before. I have actually been turned away for a position as stewardess because I was too pretty.”

Translations

in the manner of a matron

• Finnish: äidillisesti (fi)
• Spanish: matronalmente

Anagrams

• myrtanol