ma'am
n. countablen. a polite way to speak to a woman, especially if you do not know her name or if she is in a position of authority. It is a short form of the word 'madam'.
n. a polite form of address for a woman, typically used by service staff or subordinates. A contraction of 'madam', it is more common in American English and military contexts.
How can I help you today, ma'am?
The hotel receptionist greeted the guest with a polite 'Good evening, ma'am' as she handed over the room key.
The noun is a contraction of madam, and represents a regional pronunciation of that word in the United Kingdom. The verb is derived from the noun.
Used as a vocative; it functions as a title of respect and is not typically preceded by an article.
Hello, the ma'am.Hello, ma'am.Ma'am is a direct address title and does not take a determiner like 'the'.