prioress


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pri·or·ess

 (prī′ər-ĭs)
n.
A nun in charge of a priory or ranking next below the abbess of an abbey.

[Middle English prioresse, from Old French, feminine of prior, a prior; see prior2.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

prioress

(ˈpraɪərɪs)
n
(Roman Catholic Church) a nun holding an office in her convent corresponding to that of a prior in a male religious order
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

pri•or•ess

(ˈpraɪ ər ɪs)

n.
a woman holding a position corresponding to that of a prior.
[1250–1300; Middle English < Old French]
usage: See -ess.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.prioress - the superior of a group of nunsprioress - the superior of a group of nuns  
mother - a term of address for a mother superior
superior - the head of a religious community
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations

prioress

[ˈpraɪərɪs] Npriora f
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

prioress

[ˈpraɪərɛs] nprieure f
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

prioress

nPriorin f
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

prioress

[ˈpraɪərɪs] npriora
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
References in classic literature ?
Thus it came that, on the morning of the fourth day, he called Little John to him, and told him that he could not shake the fever from him, and that he would go to his cousin, the prioress of the nunnery near Kirklees, in Yorkshire, who was a skillful leech, and he would have her open a vein in his arm and take a little blood from him, for the bettering of his health.
Now Robin had done much to aid this cousin of his; for it was through King Richard's love of him that she had been made prioress of the place.
After the women had gotten Robin Hood to the room beneath the eaves, the Prioress sent all of the others away; then, taking a little cord, she tied it tightly about Robin's arm, as though she were about to bleed him.
Having done this vile deed, the Prioress turned and left her cousin, locking the door behind her.
And now the Prioress came in hastily, for she was frightened at what she had done, and dreaded the vengeance of Little John and the others of the band; then she stanched the blood by cunning bandages, so that it flowed no more.
Upon the steep stairway he met the Prioress and some of the chief among the sisters.
Besides all the other religious folk there were a prioress and a nun.
Besides the prioress and the nun there was only one other woman in the company.
At length he resolved to conduct her to a convent of which a sister of his was prioress; Camilla agreed to this, and with the speed which the circumstances demanded, Lothario took her to the convent and left her there, and then himself quitted the city without letting anyone know of his departure.
She had become prioress of Argenteuil and led a life of complete seclusion.
The Prioress's Tale is the story of an angelic Christian child killed by Jews.
In 2002, the Prioress, Anna Brennan, decided to sell up and move to a smaller new monastery in the North Yorkshire Moors national park.