Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
noun, plural chat·e·laines [shat-l-eynz; French shahtuh–len] /ˈʃæt lˌeɪnz; French ʃɑtəˈlɛn/.
- the mistress of a castle.
- the mistress of an elegant or fashionable household.
- a hooklike clasp or a chain for suspending keys, trinkets, scissors, a watch, etc., worn at the waist by women.
- a woman’s lapel ornament resembling this.
noun
- (esp formerly) the mistress of a castle or fashionable household
- a chain or clasp worn at the waist by women in the 16th to the 19th centuries, with handkerchief, keys, etc, attached
- a decorative pendant worn on the lapel
1845, from French châtelaine “a female castellan; wife of a castellan; mistress of a castle or country house;” fem. of châtelain, from Old French chastelain “owner and lord of a castle, castellan, nobleman,” from chastel (see chateau). In fashion, as a type of ornamental belt, from 1851; supposed to resemble a chain of keys.