Link Centre Dictionary

governess

go·ver·ness

UK/ˈɡʌvənəs/ US/ˈɡʌvɚnəs/ uncommon dated

noun

1.

a woman entrusted with the care and supervision of a child (especially in a private home)

Origin

From Middle English governesse, a contracted form of governeresse, from Old French governeresse (“female ruler or administrator”). In later senses, equivalent to govern(or) + -ess.

Phrases

  • governess general
  • lieutenant governess

Related words

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.