a woman of refinement
"a chauffeur opened the door of the limousine for the grand lady"
Usually capitalized as Dame: a title equivalent to Sir for a female knight.
"The queen was honored as Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for her service."
The titular prefix given to a female knight
In plain English: A dame is an older woman who has been given a special title for her good work by the Queen.
"The crowd cheered loudly for their beloved pop star dame when she stepped onto the stage."
Usage: Use the capitalization Dame only when referring specifically to an honorific title awarded by a monarch, such as in Dame Judi Dench. Do not capitalize it when using the word generically to describe any older woman or mother figure.
The word "dame" comes from Old French dame, meaning "lady," which was borrowed from the Latin domina. Originally, this Latin term referred to a mistress of the house or a ruler.