contessa

[ kawn-tes-sah; English kuhn-tes-uh ]

noun

, Italian.

, plural con·tes·se [kawn-, tes, -se], English con·tes·sas.

1. countess.

Word History and Origins

Origin of contessa¹

First recorded in 1815–20;

Example Sentences

Had Violet signed the marriage contract with her right hand, the law would have made her a miserable contessa, but because she signed it with her left, she remained, to her relief, a miserable orphan.

From Literature

I had seen Chloe Marsh earlier in the day—very pretty, with a face shaped like a soft heart and with a delicate nose and lips like a contessa in a Renaissance portrait.

From Literature

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