noun
abbess
AB-ihs
noun
1
A woman who heads a convent of nuns, holding the same authority over her community that an abbot holds over monks.
"The abbess welcomed the new novices into the convent."
How to Use Abbess
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe female head of a convent — the equivalent of an abbot but for nuns.
Easily confused with
Word Forms
abbesses plural
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The _____ welcomed the new novices into the convent.
Etymology
From Old French abeesse, from Late Latin abbatissa, the feminine form of abbas ("abbot").