abbess
[ ab-is ]
/ ˈæb ɪs /
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noun
a woman who is the superior of a convent of nuns.
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Let’s start with some etymology: What are the origins of the typographical word “bracket”?
First appeared around 1750, and is related to the French word “braguette” for the name of codpiece armor.
First appeared in 1610, based on the French word “baguette” for the long loaf of bread.
First appeared in 1555, and is related to the French word “raquette” for a netted bat.
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Origin of abbess
1275–1325; Middle English abbesse<Old French abbesse, abaesse<Late Latin abbātissa, feminine of abbāsabbot; replacing Middle English abbatisse<Late Latin; in turn replacing Old English abadisse,abbodesse (compare Old High German abbatissa) <Late Latin *ab(b)adissa for abbātissa
usage note for abbess
See -ess.
Words nearby abbess
abbé, Abbe condenser, abbed, Abbe number, Abbé operation, abbess, Abbeville, Abbevillian, abbey, Abbey Theatre, Abbie
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for abbess
British Dictionary definitions for abbess
abbess
/ (ˈæbɪs) /
noun
the female superior of a convent
Word Origin for abbess
C13: from Old French, from Church Latin abbātissa
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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