prima donna

prima donna
   obsolete
   a prostitute
   The term for a principal female singer or dancer in an opera or ballet has, outside the theatre, come to denote a temperamental and self-important person, from the reputed behaviour of some artistes. In 19th century London she was neither of these things:
    By lorettes I mean those I have touched on before as prima donnas. (Mayhew, 1862 — a lorette I assume to be a nun (see nunnery), from those who took their vows in one of the orders established under the auspices of Our Lady ofLoreto, the Italian town in which the Virgin Mary reputedly made her home after being transported there by angels in 1295)

How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms. . 2014.

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  • prima donna — ⇒PRIMA DONNA, subst. fém. ART LYRIQUE, vieilli. Cantatrice interprétant le rôle principal dans un opéra ou cantatrice ayant généralement ce rôle dans une troupe lyrique. Le lendemain matin, sans consulter ses enfants, sans dire un mot à personne …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Prima donna — Pri ma don na; pl. E. {Prima donnas}, It. {Prime Donne . [It., fr. primo, prima, the first + donna lady, mistress. See {Prime}, a., and {Donna}.] The first or chief female singer in an opera. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Prima donna — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda En el ámbito de la ópera, prima donna es el término en italiano que se usa para designar a la primera cantante, mujer que desempeña los papeles principales y que generalmente es soprano. El término correspondiente… …   Wikipedia Español

  • prima\ donna — [ primadɔna ] n. f. • 1823; mots it. « première dame » ♦ Cantatrice tenant le premier rôle (de soprano, en général) dans un opéra. « des applaudissements à faire crouler la salle accueillirent l entrée en scène de la prima donna » (Balzac). Des… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • prima donna — 1782, principal female singer in an opera, from It. prima donna first lady, from L. prima, fem. of primus first (see PRIME (Cf. prime) (adj.)) + domina lady. Meaning temperamental person first recorded 1834 …   Etymology dictionary

  • prima donna — meaning ‘chief female singer’ of a company or ‘a temperamentally self important person’, has the plural form prima donnas. The adjectival form, in the allusive meaning, is prima donna ish …   Modern English usage

  • prima donna — [n1] star diva, first lady, headliner, leading lady, lead vocalist, opera singer, singer, soloist, superstar, topliner*; concepts 352,366 prima donna [n2] temperamental person conceited person, crybaby, egotist, narcissist, princess, self… …   New thesaurus

  • prima donna — (Del it. prima donna). f. Protagonista femenina de una ópera …   Diccionario de la lengua española

  • Prima donna — (ital.), die erste Sängerin an einer größeren Oper …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • prima donna — ► NOUN 1) the chief female singer in an opera or opera company. 2) a very temperamental and self important person. ORIGIN Italian, first lady …   English terms dictionary

  • prima donna — [prē΄mə dän′ə, prim′ə] n. [It, lit., first lady] 1. the principal woman singer in an opera or concert 2. Informal a temperamental, vain, or arrogant person …   English World dictionary

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