ma'amEnglishOxford New American Dictionaryma'am /mam, mæm / ▸ noun North American or dated a term of respectful or polite address used for a woman: excuse me, ma'am. ▪ British a term of address for female royalty. ▪ British a term of address for a ranking female officer in the police or armed forces. – ORIGIN mid 17th century : contraction of madam.