landlady
(ˈlændleɪdɪ)
[f. land n.1 + lady n. Cf. landlord.]
1. ‘A woman who has tenants holding from her’ (J.); † fig. a mistress. rare.
| a 1536 Tindale Expos. Matt. v. Wks. (1573) 210/1 Let thy wife visit thy Landladye three or four tymes in a yeare, wyth spised cakes..and such like. 1600 Dekker Fortunatus Wks. 1873 I. 84 Great landlady of hearts pardon me. 1687 Miege Gt. Fr. Dict. ii, s.v. Landlady, I am the Tenant, and she is my Landlady. Mod. Our landlady lives next door. |
2. The hostess of an inn; the mistress of a lodging- or boarding-house.
| 1654 Nicholas Papers (Camden) II. 56 She called for the Landlord and Landlady of the Lodging. 1667 Pepys Diary 7 Oct., There was so much tearing company in the house that we could not see the landlady. 1734 Berkeley Let. to T. Prior 30 Apr., Wks. 1871 IV. 227 The landlady of the lodging must..be obliged to furnish linen. 1824 Scott Redgauntlet let. xii, We soon reached the Shepherd's Bush, where the old landlady was sitting up waiting for us. 1857 Dickens Lett. (1880) II. 30 We have a very obliging and comfortable landlady. 1886 Ruskin Præterita I. vii. 209 The early widowed landlady of the King's Head Inn. |
3. Sc. One's hostess, the wife of one's host or entertainer. ? Obs.
| 1815 Scott Guy M. iii, The circumstances of the landlady [Mrs. Bertram, wife of the laird] were pleaded to Mannering..as an apology for her not appearing to welcome her guest. |
Hence (nonce-wds.) ˈlandladydom, the realm of landladies. ˈlandladyhood, -ship, the position or dignity of a landlady. ˈlandladyish a., resembling or characteristic of a landlady.
| 1854 Tait's Mag. XXI. 349 The end of my landladyship is drawing nigh. 1862 J. Skinner Let. 12 July in Life xi. (1884) 209 Maggie was in all the dignity of landladyhood. 1864 Realm 30 Mar. 8 Mrs. Falconer as Dame Quickly displayed a proper amount of landladyish indignation at her corpulent customer's misdeeds. 1890 Baring-Gould Pennycomequicks 194 When I come to landladydom. |