dame
gb/dˈeɪm/ us/dˈeɪm/
B2
Inglés
~ 9000
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Sustantivo
B2
entity
1
Woman with a British honor title
A special honor title for a woman in the UK and some other countries, like the female version of a knight, used before her name.
Patrón de uso:
Dame [someone's name]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes think they can use “dame” as a polite general word for any woman. In modern English, the capitalized title “Dame” is only used for women who have actually received this honor, usually written with a capital D directly before the person’s first name (e.g. “Dame Sarah Brown”). Writing *“She is a dame teacher”* for an ordinary teacher is incorrect and sounds strange.
Sinónimos
title (A very general word for any honor name; it does not show that the title is at the level of a knight.)
|
lady (Can be a title for a woman of rank, but is broader and not always an official honor like Dame.)
Antónimos
commoner (A person without a noble or honorific title, contrasting with someone formally titled as a Dame.)
Colocaciones
Dame Judi Dench
|Dame Maggie Smith
|made a Dame
|Dame Commander
|Dame of the British Empire
Temas
society
|politics
|culture
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- She was made a Dame in recognition of her work for charity.
- Dame Judi Dench has appeared in many famous films and plays.
- After the ceremony, she could officially use the title Dame before her name.
- Newspapers reported that three leading scientists were appointed Dames this year.
- As a Dame of the British Empire, she often attends state events.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- She was made a Dame by the Queen.
- Dame Helen is very famous in the UK.
- The actor thanked the new Dame for her help.
- He read a story about a woman who became a Dame.
- They invited Dame Alice to open the new hospital.
Sustantivo
informal
C1
entity
2
Informal, old-fashioned word for woman
An old-fashioned, informal word for a woman, used mainly in movies or stories and sometimes sounding a little rude or not respectful.
Patrón de uso:
[someone] calls [someone] a dame
Error frecuente:
Learners may think “dame” is a normal, polite word for any woman and use it in everyday speech. In modern English this sounds old-fashioned, like language from 1930s movies, and can sound mildly rude. It is safer to use “woman” or “lady” in real life. Learners also sometimes confuse this lower-case, informal “dame” with the capitalized title “Dame” used before a famous woman’s name.
Sinónimos
woman (Neutral and standard; does not carry the dated, movie-like or slightly disrespectful feeling of “dame.”)
|
broad (Very informal and more slangy and disrespectful than “dame.”)
Antónimos
man (The basic gender opposite of a woman in this context.)
Colocaciones
tough dame
|classy dame
|old dame
|mysterious dame
|lucky dame
Temas
daily life
|relationships
|slang
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- A tall blonde dame walked into the detective’s office and asked for help.
- He talks like an old movie character, always calling women “dames.”
- The book is full of tough city dames who don’t trust anyone.
- In that old song, the singer keeps calling his girlfriend “a crazy little dame.”
- Some people find the word “dame” for a woman rude or outdated today.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- A dame walked into the bar and sat down next to him.
- In the old film, the hero calls every woman a dame.
- My grandpa sometimes says “dame,” but I never use this word.
- That movie is about a smart dame who solves the crime.
- The writer describes the main character as “a tough little dame.”
Sustantivo
technical
C2
entity
3
Comic older-woman role in pantomime
In British pantomime shows, a funny older woman character, usually played by a man dressed as a woman.
Patrón de uso:
[someone] plays the dame
Error frecuente:
Learners may confuse this with the honorific title “Dame” and think it refers to a real noblewoman. In theatre contexts, “the dame” is a comic role in pantomime, usually a man dressed as an older woman, not a titled lady.
Sinónimos
drag role (A broader term for a person performing in clothes of another gender; not limited to the specific comic pantomime character type called a dame.)
Antónimos
principal boy (In pantomime, a traditional young male hero role often played by a woman, contrasting with the dame, which is an older female role played by a man.)
Colocaciones
pantomime dame
|play the dame
|comic dame
|traditional dame role
Temas
entertainment
|culture
|arts_entertainment
Ejemplos
- He has played the dame in the village pantomime for the last ten years.
- The theatre company is searching for an experienced comic actor to be their dame this Christmas.
- Her brother stole the show as the outrageous dame in “Cinderella.”
- The dame’s bright dresses and silly jokes kept the children laughing all night.
- In British pantomime, the dame often talks directly to the audience and makes topical jokes.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- He will play the dame in the school pantomime this year.
- The audience laughed every time the dame came on stage.
- In this show, the dame wears big, funny dresses.
- My uncle enjoys being the dame in local pantomimes.
- The dame asks the children questions and waits for their answers.
Sustantivo
technical
C2
entity
4
Chess piece equivalent to the queen
A rare word in English for the queen in chess, the most powerful chess piece.
Patrón de uso:
[someone] moves the dame
Error frecuente:
Learners whose first language uses a word like “dame” for the chess queen sometimes carry this directly into English and say or write “dame” at the chessboard. In modern English chess vocabulary, “queen” is the correct and almost universal term.
Sinónimos
queen (The normal and standard English name for this chess piece; “dame” is rare and nonstandard in modern English.)
Antónimos
pawn (The weakest chess piece, contrasting with the queen/dame, the strongest piece.)
Colocaciones
lose the dame
|exchange the dame
|white dame
|black dame
Temas
games
|sports
|arts_entertainment
Ejemplos
- In older chess books translated from other languages, the queen is sometimes called the dame.
- He joked in his French accent that he had lost his “dame” instead of his queen.
- Some international players still say “dame” at the board, influenced by their first language.
- The diagram labels the piece as a dame, but English players would call it a queen.
- The coach explained that in English they should say “queen,” not “dame,” during tournaments.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- In English, players say queen, not dame, for this chess piece.
- The old book uses the word dame for the queen.
- He lost his dame early in the game.
- The teacher told us that dame is not a common English word in chess.
- She read that in some languages the queen is called a dame.
Gramática
Expresiones
Dame Fortune
1/dˈeɪm fˈɔɹt͡ʃun/
idiom
literary
Personified figure of luck
A literary name for luck, imagined as a woman who gives good or bad luck.
Ejemplos
- The hero trusts Dame Fortune more than careful planning.
- Writers in the past often blamed Dame Fortune when their plans failed.
- He liked to say that Dame Fortune had finally smiled on him.
old dame
1/ˈoʊld dˈeɪm/
fixed phrase
informal
Informal phrase for an older woman
An informal, somewhat rude way to talk about an older woman.
Ejemplos
- Some people think calling someone an old dame is rude and unfriendly.
- In the novel, the detective calls his landlady “that old dame upstairs.”
- He joked that the old dame next door still watches everyone on the street.
pantomime dame
1/pˈæntəmˌaɪm dˈeɪm/
fixed phrase
technical
Comic older-woman role in pantomime
In British pantomime, a funny older woman character, normally played by a man in colorful clothes and makeup.
Ejemplos
- He’s famous locally as the pantomime dame every Christmas.
- The role of the pantomime dame requires strong comedy and improvisation skills.
- Our drama teacher asked who wanted to audition for the pantomime dame this year.