Batwoman

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A fictional female superhero character associated with a famous nocturnal vigilante; a woman who operates in crime-fighting capacities resembling those of a bat-themed hero; a female figure known for wearing a bat-inspired costume and defending justice in stories or media
2. A female counterpart to a bat-themed crime fighter in popular culture; a woman adopting the identity and role of a bat-like masked vigilante; a heroine who embodies bat-related symbolism while combating evil in various narratives
3. A woman assuming the role of a dark, bat-associated superhero protecting a city; a female character involved in vigilantism and crime prevention using bat motifs; a female protagonist known for her bat-themed attire and heroic acts against wrongdoing

Etymology: Batwoman is a transparent compound of "bat" and "woman," but "woman" holds an older surprise. It comes from Old English "wifmann," literally "wife-man," where "wif" meant a woman and "man" meant a human being of either sex. Over time "wif" narrowed to the sense of a married woman, and "man" narrowed to the male sense, so "woman" came to mean an adult female. The compound follows the pattern of "Batman," itself formed from "bat" and "man." The name is a comics-era coinage for a female counterpart to that hero, and its best-known early bearer is Kathy Kane, a DC Comics character who took on a bat-themed identity to fight crime.

Synonyms: female batman, superheroine