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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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Origin of abbess

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English abbesse from Old French abbesse, abaesse from Late Latin abbātissa, feminine of abbās abbot; replacing Middle English abbatisse from Late Latin; in turn replacing Old English abadisse, abbodesse (compare Old High German abbatissa ) from unattested Late Latin ab(b)adissa for abbātissa

usage note for abbess

What's the difference between abbess and abbot? See -ess.

Words nearby abbess

abbatial, abbé, Abbe condenser, abbed, Abbe number, abbess, Abbeville, Abbevillian, abbey, Abbey Theatre, Abbie
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to abbess

sister, bishop, anchorite, postulant, prioress, vestal, abbot, archbishop, cardinal, dignitary, ecclesiastic, hierarch, ecclesiarch, reverend mother, superior, canoness, mother superior

How to use abbess in a sentence

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 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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