abbess

[ ab-is ]

noun

1. a woman who is the superior of a convent of nuns.

abbess

/ ˈæbɪs /

noun

1. the female superior of a convent

Gender Note

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of abbess¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of abbess¹

C13: from Old French, from Church Latin abbātissa

Example Sentences

Joe Abbess, 17, from Southampton, and 12-year-old Sunnah Khan, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, died after getting into trouble in the water off Bournemouth Beach in May 2023.

From BBC

Joe Abbess, 17, from Southampton, and 12-year-old Sunnah Khan, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, died after getting into trouble in the water off Bournemouth Beach in May 2023.

From BBC

Joe Abbess, 17, from Southampton, and 12-year-old Sunnah Khan, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, both died after getting into trouble in the water in May 2023.

From BBC

Ms Short said another friend later called Mrs Abbess to say "Joe was in the sea when the waves got crazy and that the alarm had been raised".

From BBC

Mrs Abbess then received calls from the police and in a call at 17:41 an A&E consultant at the hospital where he had been taken told her staff "couldn't do any more for Joe".

From BBC

Related Words

• bishop