abbess

Fetched 2026-10-26 (cache).

Synonyms: abbes, abbeys, abcess

Antonyms: abbes, abbeys, abcess

Related words from Datamuse; suggestions, not definitions.

Noun

1. {{senseid|en|religion}} A female superior or [[governess]] of a [[nunnery]], or [[convent]] of nuns, having the same authority over the nuns which the [[abbots]] have over the monks. {{defdate|First attested around 1150 to 1350}}<ref name=SOED>{{R:SOED5|page=3}}</ref>
2. {{lb|en|archaic|British slang}} A woman who runs a [[brothel]]; a woman employed by a [[prostitute]] to find [[client]]s.<ref>{{R:Barrere|volume=1|page=3}}</ref><ref>{{R:Farmer|volume=1|pages=3–4}}</ref>

Source: Wiktionary · CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wiktionary dump) · cached copy, not a rewrite.