# abbess

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈæb.ɪs/ · frequency rank #52,748

## Definitions
1. 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.
2. A woman who runs a brothel; a woman employed by a prostitute to find clients.

## Etymology
From Middle English abbesse, from Old French abeesse (French abbesse), from Late Latin or Ecclesiastical Latin abbatissa, feminine of Latin abbas, abbatis (“abbot”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/abbess