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| ⇒ grande madame; doyenne | |||
a woman who is socially prominent, respected, and experienced, especially one who is haughty and advanced in age (Now the Baronne de Ribaumont Walwyn was a veritable grande dame, and Madame Croquelebois, in spite of her sharp nose, and sharper tongue, was quite cowed by her. • "Do you no longer want to go to Europe? to court? to be grande dame and converse with princes?" • "Beatniks," snorted one grande dame as she pushed her way toward her chauffeur-driven limousine.  wiktionary.org) | |||
| a well-known, very highly regarded institution, structure, or large conveyance, such as a hotel or ship (Returned to its former glory, this is the grande dame of all Bilbao hotels. wiktionary.org) | |||