matronly

comparative more matronly · superlative most matronly

1. In the capacity of a matron; serving as a housekeeper or head nurse.

   The door opened, but it was to admit a middle-aged matronly lady with good-humour and domestic capability proclaimed by every detail of her smiling face and easy manner.

   1923, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], “(please specify the page)”, in The Eyes of Max Carrados, London: Grant Richards, →OCLC

2. Exuding the authority, wisdom, power, and intelligence of an experienced woman.

   c. 1977, Janeane Garofalo, a skit the matronly upper arms girls know about life and love and losing

3. Having the appearance of a mature woman, often of larger physical stature and somewhat unkempt or dowdy.

   27 April 2009, LA Times https://web.archive.org/web/20090427074230/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedishrag/2009/04/susan-boyle-gets-a-makeover-is-she-going-hollywood-already.html Gone is her matronly gray frizzy hair and those bushy brows, frumpy frock and old lady pearls.

comparative more matronly · superlative most matronly

1. In the manner of a matron.

   The mother dressed matronly, in a bonnet and in black, always sat between her two big daughters, firm, directing, and repressed.

   1906, Gertrude Stein, Three Lives, page 166

   2 more examples

   She was the same height and weight as Mother and had the same hairdo and dressed matronly like her. It was scary. She looked so much like Mother.

   2004, Irene Kai, The golden mountain: beyond the American dream, →ISBN, page 214

   “I had to dress matronly to get the position. I've had trouble with that before. I have actually been turned away for a position as stewardess because I was too pretty.”

   2011 May 25, Kellianne Sweeny, The One That Got Away, →ISBN, page 106