Word
madonna
Phoneticsmadon·na
/məˈdɑnə/
Definitions
01the Virgin Mary
n. a title for Mary, the mother of Jesus, especially in the Catholic Church.
n. a title used for the Virgin Mary, particularly within Catholic and Orthodox Christian traditions.
“The local church is dedicated to the Madonna.”
“Devotion to the Madonna remains a central pillar of religious life in many Mediterranean communities.”
Formal
Usage
Often used with the definite article 'the'.
Synonyms
02artistic depiction
n. a painting or statue of Mary, often shown holding the baby Jesus.
n. an artistic representation of the Virgin Mary, typically depicted holding the infant Jesus.
“The museum has a famous Madonna painted by Raphael.”
“The gallery's collection includes several Renaissance Madonnas, each illustrating a different theological emphasis through the mother's expression.”
Usage
In this sense, it is a countable noun.
03skateboarding trick
n. a trick where a skater takes one foot off the board and kicks it down while in the air.
n. a specific skateboarding maneuver involving a one-footed lien-to-tail air where the front foot is kicked out straight.
“He landed a perfect madonna over the edge of the ramp.”
“The skater executed a flawless madonna, extending his lead in the vertical competition with his technical precision.”
Technical · Slang
Teaching tip
This is highly specialized jargon used only within the skateboarding community.
Etymology
From Italian madonna, from Old Italian ma (“my”) + donna (“lady”). The given name is derived from the English term, not used as a given name in Italy. Doublet of madam.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.