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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Abbess \Ab"bess\ ([a^]b"b[e^]s), noun [OF. abaesse, abeesse, F. abbesse, L. abbatissa, fem. of abbas, abbatis, abbot. See {Abbot}.] 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. See {Abbey}.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
abbess
noun: the superior of a group of nuns [syn: {mother superior}, {prioress}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
27 Moby Thesaurus words for "abbess": canoness, chatelaine, clergywoman, conventual, dame, dowager, first lady, goodwife, governess, great lady, homemaker, housewife, lady superior, madam, matriarch, matron, mistress, mother superior, novice, nun, postulant, prioress, religieuse, secular canoness, sister, superioress, the reverend mother
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Definitions retrieved from local copies of the freely distributed DICT client/server software and databases. Click here for database copyright information. - KM |