Answer, Madam or Mrs. (Middle Ages) an attendant and shield bearer to a knight; a candidate for knighthood a title of respect for a member of the English gentry ranking just below a knight; placed after the name wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn Esquire (abbreviated Esq.) was originally a title for the sons of nobles and gentry who did not possess any other title. However, today the term is often used instead of Mr on official documents and in formal correspondence. It is linked to the word squire which refers to a knight's servant. There is no female equivalent for the social form. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esquire Bryan Perth, W Aust