Hypertext Webster Gateway: "beldame"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Beldam \Bel"dam\ Beldame \Bel"dame\, n. [Pref. bel-, denoting
relationship + dame mother: cf. F. belledame fair lady, It.
belladonna. See {Belle}, and {Dame}.]
1. Grandmother; -- corresponding to belsire.
To show the beldam daughters of her daughter.
--Shak.
2. An old woman in general; especially, an ugly old woman; a
hag.
Around the beldam all erect they hang. --Akenside.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
beldame
n 1: an ugly evil-looking old woman [syn: {hag}, {beldam}, {witch},
{crone}]
2: a woman of advanced age [syn: {beldam}]
Additional Hypertext Webster Gateway Lookup
Gateway by dict@stokkie.net
stock only wrote the gateway and does not have any control over the contents;
see the Webster Gateway FAQ,
and also the Back-end/database links and credits.