mademoiselle

plural mademoiselles · plural mesdemoiselles · abbreviation Mlle. · abbreviation Mdlle. · alternative Mademoiselle · alternative informal mamzelle

1. A courtesy title for an unmarried woman in France or a French-speaking country.
2. humorousA young woman or girl, especially one who is French or French-speaking.

   It was a teenage wedding, and the old folks wished them well / You could see that Pierre did truly love the mademoiselle...

   1964, Chuck Berry, “You Never Can Tell”

present singular third person mademoiselles · participle present mademoiselling · participle past mademoiselled · past mademoiselled · alternative Mademoiselle · alternative informal mamzelle

1. raretransitiveTo address as mademoiselle.

   Pamela was not the least bit impressed by the chiaroscuro of attendants mademoiselling her.

   1971, Gael Greene, Bite: A New York Restaurant Strategy for Hedonists, Masochists, Selective Penny Pinchers and the Upwardly Mobile, New York, N.Y.: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., →ISBN, page 60

   5 more examples

   If not courted by some tall and handsome “Chasseur,” or some crafty little valet who “mademoiselles” her, she almost invariably condescends to notice favourably some dandified linendraper’s assistant, or sixth clerk in an attorney’s office, whom she met one holiday at the Chaumière or at the Ermitage.

   1840, Auguste de Lacroix; [unknown, transl.], “The Parisian Lady’s Maid”, in Pictures of the French: A Series of Literary and Graphic Delineations of French Character, London: W[illia]m S. Orr and Co., […], page 235

   “And if Edla should have a taste and inclination for a military life, would, Mademoiselle wish to made her a general? or, if she had a particular penchant for anatomy, an anatomical professor? Young ladies belong probably to the St. Simonians, and young ladies like these desire that everywhere in civil life the woman should have the same privileges as the man.” (The President always Mademoiselled me very much when he was displeased with me.)

   1843, Fredrika Bremer, “The Education of Women”, in [Mary Howitt], transl., The President’s Daughters. A Narrative of a Governess., Boston, Mass.: […] James Munroe and Company, […], page 57, column 1

   A lady, whom the bills—neither Missing, Madaming, nor Mademoiselling—entitled Adelaide Weinthal, appeared as Maffeo Orsini.

   1853 September 17, Dwight’s Journal of Music: A Paper of Art and Literature, volume III, number 24, Boston, Mass., page 191, column 3

   There were ladies too, en cheveux, in caps and bonnets, some of whom knew Trilby, and thee’d and thou’d with familiar affection, while others mademoiselle’d her with distant politeness, and were mademoiselle’d and madame’d back again.

   1894 January, George du Maurier, “Trilby”, in Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, volume LXXXVIII, number DXXIV, page 186, column 1

   “Mademoiselle, let me mount you on my mare,” I said, “and while you ride on I will get your horse.” She gave a little gasp. “You must not mademoiselle me,” she exclaimed; […] “Mademoiselle,” I said, “it is imperative that we leave the high road. We are, I fear, pursued, and we must throw our pursuers off our track.” “I wish you would not mademoiselle me,” she pouted, dragging on the mare’s mouth.

   1899, L. McManus [Charlotte Elizabeth McManus], chapter II, in Lally of the Brigade: A Romance, Boston, Mass.: L[ouis] C[oues] Page and Company, pages 24 and 30

plural Mesdemoiselles · plural Mademoiselles

1. Alternative letter-case form of mademoiselle.

   To Mesdemoiselles ELIZABETH and LUCY OAKLEY, […]

   1822 August 3, Benjamin Oakley, Letters on Miscellaneous and Domestic Subjects: Intended for the Use of the Writer’s Family, and a Few Select Friends, London: […] J. Moyes, […], published 1823, page 349

   2 more examples

   The Malmaison Troupe, if I may thus style actors of such exalted social rank, consisted principally of Eugène, Jérôme, Lauriston, de Bourrienne, Isabey, de Leroy, Didelot, Mademoiselle Hortense, Madame Caroline Murat, and the two Mademoiselles Auguié, one of whom afterwards married Marshal Ney, and the other M. de Broc.

   1895, [Louis] Constant [Wairy], translated by Walter Clark, Recollections of the Private Life of Napoleon, volume I, New York, N.Y.; Boston, Mass.: H. M. Caldwell Co. […], page 59

   […] Galatea and two of the Graces were performed by Sallé’s former pupils, Mademoiselle Puvignée and the two Mademoiselles Lany.

   2007, Sarah McCleave, “Marie Sallé, a Wise Professional Woman of Influence”, in Lynn Matluck Brooks, editor, Women’s Work: Making Dance in Europe before 1800, The University of Wisconsin Press, →ISBN, page 174