Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Matron

[Middle English matrone, from Old French, from Latin matrona, from mater, matr-, mother; see mater- in Indo-European roots.]

Noun
1.
matron - a married woman (usually middle-aged with children) who is staid and dignified
married woman, wife - a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

2.
matron - a wardress in a prison
wardress - a woman warder
3.
matron - a woman in charge of nursing in a medical institution
head nurse
nurse - one skilled in caring for young children or the sick (usually under the supervision of a physician)
adult female, woman - an adult female person (as opposed to a man); "the woman kept house while the man hunted"


Well, that says it all. Hospitals need matrons. The root of the word means mother. The old ways are sometimes better.

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