mesdames

noun

1. (form-of, plural)plural of madam
2. (form-of, plural)plural of madame
3. plural of Madam (“polite form of address for a woman or lady”)

   “The conſtant queſtion, upon her offering to ſtir abroad, was, where are you going Madam? To ſee the King my papa, replied the Princeſs. That cannot be Madam. No? why ſo? It is not the Etiquette. — And thus, if ſhe had a mind to viſit any of the Mesdames, the king’s ſiſters or aunts, ſhe was always told, it was not the Etiquette.”

4. (form-of, plural)plural of Madame (“title equivalent to Mrs. or Ms., used for French-speaking women and (by custom) certain other individuals”)

   “In 1679, the rivalry between Mesdames de Maintenon and de Montespan flared up again over the children. And in 1680, after the dim-witted Madame de Fontanges’ pregnancy was tragically terminated, it was the marquise de Maintenon whom the king turned to for solace and companionship.”

5. (form-of, plural)plural of Mrs /Mrs. (“title used before an adult woman’s name or surname”)