beldam

noun

bel·dam ˈbel-dəm

variants or beldame

: an old woman

knocking on the beldam's door on Halloween was once an annual ritual for the kids in the neighborhood

Etymology

Middle English beldam grandmother, from Anglo-French bel beautiful + Middle English dam

First Known Use

1520, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of beldam was in 1520

See more words from the same year

Style

“Beldam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beldam. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation

beldam

noun

bel·dam

variants or beldame

ˈbel-dəm

: an old woman

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