headmistress

American  

[hed-mis-tris] / ˈhɛdˈmɪs trɪs /

noun

1. a woman in charge of a private school.

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headmistress British  

/ ˌhɛdˈmistrəs /

noun

1. Gender-neutral form: head teacher.  a female principal of a school

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Gender

See -ess.

Other Word Forms

• headmistress-ship noun
• headmistressship noun

Etymology

Origin of headmistress

First recorded in 1870–75; head + mistress

Example Sentences

“Of course, clubs aren’t clubs as they used to be,” said Agnes Nugent, 76, a retired headmistress, who joined the Rand Club in the early 1990s as one of its first female members.

From The Wall Street Journal

She was the headmistress of a Christian boarding school for girls that promoted traditional values while ostensibly accepting the changes required by the new order.

From The Wall Street Journal

Miss Mortimer spoke in that stern headmistress tone that no Swanburne girl had ever found the will to disobey.

From Literature

She had always enjoyed being the kind headmistress’s favorite, but now she felt rather pushed to the side.

From Literature

The kind headmistress gestured for Penelope to sit.

From Literature