*lady*

a. Consisting of blades. [ R. ] “Blady grass.” Drayton. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. (Bot.) A name given to several species of the orchidaceous genus Spiranthes, in which the white flowers are set in spirals about a slender axis and remotely resemble braided hair. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Ladies [ OE. ladi, læfdi, AS. hl&aemacr_;fdige, hl&aemacr_;fdie; AS. hlāf loaf + a root of uncertain origin, possibly akin to E. dairy. See Loaf, and cf. Lord. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. A woman who looks after the domestic affairs of a family; a mistress; the female head of a household. [ 1913 Webster ]

Agar, the handmaiden of Sara, whence comest thou, and whither goest thou? The which answered, Fro the face of Sara my lady. Wyclif (Gen. xvi. 8.). [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A woman having proprietary rights or authority; mistress; -- a feminine correlative of lord. “Lord or lady of high degree.” Lowell. [ 1913 Webster ]

Of all these bounds, even from this line to this, . . .
We make thee lady. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A woman to whom the particular homage of a knight was paid; a woman to whom one is devoted or bound; a sweetheart. [ 1913 Webster ]

The soldier here his wasted store supplies,
And takes new valor from his lady's eyes. Waller. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A woman of social distinction or position. In England, a title prefixed to the name of any woman whose husband is not of lower rank than a baron, or whose father was a nobleman not lower than an earl. The wife of a baronet or knight has the title of Lady by courtesy, but not by right. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A woman of refined or gentle manners; a well-bred woman; -- the feminine correlative of gentleman. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. A wife; -- not now in approved usage. Goldsmith. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. Hence: Any woman; as, a lounge for ladies; a cleaning lady; also used in combination; as, saleslady. [ PJC ]

8. (Zool.) The triturating apparatus in the stomach of a lobster; -- so called from a fancied resemblance to a seated female figure. It consists of calcareous plates. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ladies' man, a man who affects the society of ladies. --
Lady altar, an altar in a lady chapel. Shipley. --
Lady chapel, a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary. --
Lady court, the court of a lady of the manor. --
Lady crab (Zool.), a handsomely spotted swimming crab (Platyonichus ocellatus) very common on the sandy shores of the Atlantic coast of the United States. --
Lady fern. (Bot.) See Female fern, under Female, and Illust. of Fern. --
Lady in waiting, a lady of the queen's household, appointed to wait upon or attend the queen. --
Lady Mass, a Mass said in honor of the Virgin Mary. Shipley.
Lady of the manor, a lady having jurisdiction of a manor; also, the wife of a manor lord.
Lady's maid, a maidservant who dresses and waits upon a lady. Thackeray. --
Our Lady, the Virgin Mary. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Belonging or becoming to a lady; ladylike. [ 1913 Webster ]

“Some lady trifles.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Same as ladybird.
Syn. -- ladybug, lady beetle, ladybird, ladybird beetle. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Equiv. to, bird of Our Lady. ] (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of small beetles of the genus Coccinella and allied genera (family Coccinellidæ); -- called also ladybug, ladyclock, lady cow, lady fly, ladybeetle, and lady beetle. Coccinella seplempunctata in one of the common European species. See Coccinella. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The ladybirds are usually more or less hemispherical in form, with a smooth, polished surface, and often colored red, brown, or black, with small spots of brighter colors. Both the larvae and the adult beetles of most species feed on aphids, and for this reason they are very beneficial to agriculture and horticulture. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) Same as Ladybird. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) See Ladybird. [ 1913 Webster ]

pos>n. The day of the annunciation of the Virgin Mary, March 25. See Annunciation. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) (a) A large, handsome oceanic fish (Albula vulpes), found both in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans; -- called also bonefish, grubber, French mullet, and macabé. (b) A labroid fish (Harpe rufa) of Florida and the West Indies. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state or quality of being a lady; the personality of a lady. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a lady appointed to attend to a queen or princess. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A gallant who captivates the hearts of women. “A renowned dandy and lady-killer.” Blackw. Mag. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The art or practice of captivating the hearts of women. [ 1913 Webster ]

Better for the sake of womankind that this dangerous dog should leave off lady-killing. Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Lady + -kin. ] A little lady; -- applied by the writers of Queen Elizabeth's time, in the abbreviated form Lakin, to the Virgin Mary. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The diminutive does not refer to size, but is equivalent to “dear.” Brewer. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Like a lady in appearance or manners; well-bred. [ 1913 Webster ]

She was ladylike, too, after the manner of the feminine gentility of those days. Hawthorne. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Becoming or suitable to a lady; as, ladylike manners. “With fingers ladylike.” Warner. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Delicate; tender; feeble; effeminate. [ 1913 Webster ]

Too ladylike a long fatigue to bear. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being ladylike. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A sweetheart or mistress. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) A West Indian shrub (Brunfelsia americana) with fragrant showy yellowish-white flowers.
Syn. -- lady of the night, Brunfelsia americana. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

(Bot.) The common bedstraw (Galium verum); also, a slender-leaved East Indian shrub (Pharnaceum Mollugo), with white flowers in umbels. [ 1913 Webster ]

pos>n. (Bot.) A climbing plant with fragrant blossoms (Clematis vitalba). [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ This term is sometimes applied to other plants of the same genus. [ 1913 Webster ]

def>A kind of broadcloth of light weight, used for women's dresses, cloaks, etc. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

(Bot.) An umbelliferous plant (Scandix Pecten-Veneris), its clusters of long slender fruits remotely resembling a comb. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Bot.) An herb growing in dense tufts; the thrift (Armeria vulgaris). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) An erect or climbing shrub (Fuchsia coccinea) of Brazil with deep pink to red flowers.
Syn. -- ladies'-eardrop, lady's-eardrops, ladies'-eardrops, Fuchsia coccinea. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

1. pl. (Bot.) The kidney vetch, Anthyllis vulneraria; called also lady's fingers. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Cookery) A variety of small cake of about the dimensions of a finger. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A long, slender variety of the potato. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Zool.) One of the branchiae of the lobster. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Bot.) A tall coarse annual (Abelmoschus esculentus) of Old World tropics widely cultivated in southern U. S. and West Indies for its long mucilaginous green pods used as basis for soups and stews; it is sometimes placed in the genus Hibiscus. [ wns=1 ] different from lady's fingers
Syn. -- okra, gumbo, okra plant, Abelmoschus esculentus, Hibiscus esculentus. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

pos>n. (Bot.) Ribbon grass. [ 1913 Webster ]

pos>n. (Bot.) A plant of the genus Briza (Briza media); a variety of quaking grass. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The rank or position of a lady; -- given as a title (preceded by her or your). [ 1913 Webster ]

Your ladyship shall observe their gravity. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

pos>n. (Bot.) A slender climbing plant; dodder. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) Same as lady's slipper.
Syn. -- lady's slipper, lady's-slipper, slipper orchid. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Bot.) See Venus's looking-glass, under Venus. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Bot.) A genus of rosaceous herbs (Alchemilla), esp. the European Alchemilla vulgaris, which has leaves with rounded and finely serrated lobes. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Bot.) (a) The European Solomon's seal (Polygonatum verticillatum). (b) The black bryony (Tamus communis). [ 1913 Webster ]

pos>n. (Bot.) Any orchidaceous plant of the genus Cypripedium, the labellum of which resembles a slipper. Less commonly, in the United States, the garden balsam (Impatiens Balsamina). [ 1913 Webster ]

pos>n. (Bot.) A plant of the genus Cardamine (Cardamine pratensis); cuckoo flower. [ 1913 Webster ]

pos>n. (Bot.) The harebell. [ 1913 Webster ]

pos>n. (Bot.) An annual weed (Polygonum Persicaria), having a lanceolate leaf with a dark spot in the middle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. landladies [ Cf. landlord. ] 1. A woman having real estate which she leases to a tenant or tenants. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The mistress of an inn or lodging house. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Maladies [ F. maladie, fr. malade ill, sick, OF. also, malabde, fr. L. male habitus, i. e., ill-kept, not in good condition. See Malice, and Habit. ] 1. Any disease of the human body; a distemper, disorder, or indisposition, proceeding from impaired, defective, or morbid organic functions; especially, a lingering or deep-seated disorder. [ 1913 Webster ]

The maladies of the body may prove medicines to the mind. Buckminster. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A moral or mental defect or disorder. [ 1913 Webster ]

Love's a malady without a cure. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Disorder; distemper; sickness; ailment; disease; illness. See Disease. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F., fr. English. ] Lit., my lady; hence (as used on the Continent), an English noblewoman or gentlewoman. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]