postmistress

American

[pohst-mis-tris] / ˈpoʊstˌmɪs trɪs /

noun

Older Use. a woman in charge of a post office.

Gender

See -ess.

Etymology

Origin of postmistress

First recorded in 1690–1700; post ³ + mistress

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The body of retired postmistress Una Crown was found at her bungalow in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, on 13 January 2013.

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2025

Jess Kaur was a postmistress in Walsall in the West Midlands and suffered a mental breakdown after being wrongly accused in 2009 of stealing £11,000.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2024

The BBC Disclosure programme also hears from the family of convicted postmistress Caren Lorimer, the latest case to be referred to the Appeal Court in Scotland.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2024

A former postmistress says she suffered a mental breakdown after being wrongly accused of stealing £11,000 from the West Midlands branch she operated.

From BBC • Jan. 9, 2024

I consider tapping it against the wall but don’t, because the postmistress is watching.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023