May-lady

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word May-lady. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word May-lady, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say May-lady in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word May-lady you have here. The definition of the word May-lady will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofMay-lady, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

English

Noun

May-lady (plural May-ladies)

  1. (now rare, historical) A May Queen.
    • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto X”, in The Faerie Queene. , London: [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
      The jolly Satyres, full of fresh delight, / Came dauncing forth, and with them nimbly ledd / Faire Hellenore with girlonds all bespredd, / Whom their May-lady they had newly made […].
    • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: , 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC:
      , III.2.2.iii:
      Some light huswife belike, that was dressed like a may lady, and as most of our gentlewomen are.