grande dame
noun /ˌɡrɒ̃ ˈdɑːm/
/ˌɡrɑːn ˈdɑːm/
(plural grande dames, grandes dames
/ˌɡrɒ̃ ˈdɑːmz/, /ˌɡrɒ̃ ˈdɑːm/
/ˌɡrɑːn ˈdɑːmz/, /ˌɡrɑːn ˈdɑːm/
)- a woman with a lot of experience and influence in a particular area
- Barbara Hepworth, the grande dame of British sculpture and friend of Picasso