matron Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a married woman (usually middle-aged with children) who is staid and dignified
  2. noun a wardress in a prison
  3. noun a woman in charge of nursing in a medical institution

WordNet

Ma"tron noun
Etymology
F. matrone, L. matrona, fr. mater mother. See Mother.
Definitions
  1. A wife or a widow, especially, one who has borne children; a woman of staid or motherly manners.
    Your wives, your daughters, Your matrons, and your maids. Shak.
    Grave from her cradle, insomuch that she was a matron before she was a mother. Fuller.
  2. A housekeeper; esp., a woman who manages the domestic economy of a public instution; a head nurse in a hospital; as, the matron of a school or hospital.

Webster 1913