abbess
noun/ˈæbes/
/ˈæbes/
- a woman who is the head of an abbey of nunsTopics Religion and festivalsc2Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French abbesse ‘female abbot’, from ecclesiastical Latin abbatissa, from abbas, abbat-, from Greek abbas ‘father’, from Aramaic 'abbā.
Definitions on the go
Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
Check pronunciation:
abbess