lady

n. a polite way to talk about or address a woman.

n. a polite or formal referent for an adult female human, often used to show respect.

“The young lady at the front desk helped me find my room.”

“The elderly lady living in the apartment upstairs has resided in this neighborhood for over fifty years.”

n. a formal title for a woman of high social rank, like the wife of a lord.

n. a formal title of nobility in the United Kingdom, used by peeresses or the daughters of high-ranking peers.

“Lady Grantham hosted a large dinner party at the estate.”

“As the daughter of an earl, she was entitled to use the prefix Lady before her given name according to traditional British protocol.”

British English · Formal

n. an informal way to talk about your wife or girlfriend.

n. an informal or colloquial referent for a wife, girlfriend, or female romantic partner.

“I need to check with my lady before I agree to go on the trip.”

“He introduced her as his lady to the rest of the group during the casual weekend gathering.”

Informal

n. a polite way to speak to a group of women.

n. a collective form of address used when speaking to a group of women, typically in the plural.

“Good evening, ladies, may I take your drink orders now?”

“The speaker began the seminar by addressing the ladies in the front row, thanking them for their early arrival.”

n. a slang term for a five-pound note in the UK.

n. a slang term for a five-pound note, derived from the rhyming slang 'Lady Godiva' for 'fiver'.

“Can you lend me a lady until I get to the cash machine?”

“He realized he only had a lady in his wallet, which wasn't enough to cover the entire round of drinks at the pub.”

British English · Slang

n. another name for the queen in a deck of cards.

n. a colloquial term for the queen in a standard deck of playing cards.

“I needed the lady of hearts to win the game, but I drew an ace.”

“The poker player revealed a pair of ladies, securing the pot against his opponent's lower cards.”

Informal