beldam

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: bel=dam

CIDE DICTIONARY

beldam, n. [Pref. bel-, denoting relationship + dame mother: cf. F. belledame fair lady, It. belladonna. See Belle, and Dame.].

•  Grandmother; -- corresponding to belsire.  [1913 Webster]

  "To show the beldam daughters of her daughter."  [1913 Webster]
•  An old woman in general; especially, an ugly old woman; a hag.  [1913 Webster]

  "Around the beldam all erect they hang."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

beldam, n. (also beldame) archaic 1 an old woman; a hag.
2 a virago.

Etymology

ME & OF bel beautiful + DAM(2), DAME

THESAURUS

beldam

Jezebel, Mafioso, Young Turk, bag, bat, battle-ax, beast, berserk, berserker, biddy, bitch, bitch-kitty, bomber, brute, cat, common scold, crone, dame, demon, devil, dowager, drab, dragon, fiend, fire-eater, firebrand, fishwife, frump, fury, gammer, goon, gorilla, grandam, grandmother, granny, grimalkin, gunsel, hag, hardnose, hell-raiser, hellcat, hellhag, hellhound, hellion, holy terror, hood, hoodlum, hothead, hotspur, incendiary, killer, mad dog, madcap, matriarch, matron, monster, mugger, old battle-ax, old dame, old girl, old granny, old lady, old trot, old wife, old woman, rapist, revolutionary, savage, scold, she-devil, she-wolf, shrew, siren, spitfire, termagant, terror, terrorist, tiger, tigress, tough, tough guy, trot, ugly customer, violent, virago, vixen, war-horse, wild beast, wildcat, witch, wolf

ROGET THESAURUS

beldam

Evil doer

N evil doer, evil worker, wrongdoer, mischief-maker, marplot, oppressor, tyrant, destroyer, Vandal, iconoclast, firebrand, incendiary, fire bug, pyromaniac, anarchist, communist, terrorist, savage, brute, ruffian, barbarian, semibarbarian, caitiff, desperado, Apache, hoodlum, hood, plug-ugly, Red Skin, tough, Mohawk, Mo-hock, Mo-hawk, bludgeon man, bully, rough, hooligan, larrikin, dangerous classes, ugly customer, thief, cockatrice, scorpion, hornet, snake, viper, adder, snake in the grass, serpent, cobra, asp, rattlesnake, anaconda, canker-worm, wire-worm, locust, Colorado beetle, alacran, alligator, caymon, crocodile, mosquito, mugger, octopus, torpedo, bane, cutthroat, cannibal, anthropophagus, anthropophagist, bloodsucker, vampire, ogre, ghoul, gorilla, vulture, gyrfalcon, gerfalcon, wild beast, tiger, hyena, butcher, hangman, blood-hound, hell- hound, sleuth-hound, catamount, cougar, jaguar, puma, hag, hellhag, beldam, Jezebel, monster, fiend, devil incarnate, demon in human shape, Frankenstein's monster, harpy, siren, Furies, Eumenides, Hun, Attila, scourge of the human race, faenum habet in cornu.