Search Result for "matron": 
Wordnet 3.0

NOUN (3)

1. a married woman (usually middle-aged with children) who is staid and dignified;

2. a wardress in a prison;

3. a woman in charge of nursing in a medical institution;


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Matron \Ma"tron\, n. [F. matrone, L. matrona, fr. mater mother. See Mother.] 1. A wife or a widow, especially, one who has borne children; a woman of staid or motherly manners. [1913 Webster] Your wives, your daughters, Your matrons, and your maids. --Shak. [1913 Webster] Grave from her cradle, insomuch that she was a matron before she was a mother. --Fuller. [1913 Webster] 2. A housekeeper; esp., a woman who manages the domestic economy of a public instution; a head nurse in a hospital; as, the matron of a school or hospital. [1913 Webster] Jury of matrons (Law), a jury of experienced women called to determine the question of pregnancy when set up in bar of execution, and for other cognate purposes. [1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

matron n 1: a married woman (usually middle-aged with children) who is staid and dignified 2: a wardress in a prison 3: a woman in charge of nursing in a medical institution