Dictionary

anchoress en · NOUN · etymology 1

Etymology

From Middle English ankres, ankerisse, anchoryse; equivalent to anchor + -ess.

Meanings

1. A female anchorite. A woman who chooses to withdraw from the world to live a solitary life of prayer and contemplation.
   • … and advises the anchoresses to take on the basic religious vows … 2003, Yōko Wada, “A Genre of Ancrene Wisse”, in A Companion to Ancrene Wisse, DS Brewer, →ISBN, page 39:

Forms

Synonyms

anchoritess

Translations (3)

pl pustelniczka (female anchorite) · pl anachoretka (female anchorite) · fr anachorétesse (female anchorite)

anchoress en · NOUN · etymology 2

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂enk-der.? Pre-Greekbor.? Ancient Greek ᾰ̓́γκῡρᾰ (ắnkūră)bor.? Latin ancorabor. Proto-Germanic *ankurô Proto-West Germanic *ankurō Old English ancor Middle English anker English anchor Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-ih₂der. Ancient Greek -ῐᾰ (-ĭă) Ancient Greek -ισσα (-issa)bor. Late Latin -issader. Old French -essebor. Middle English -esse English -ess English anchoress From anchor + -ess.

Meanings

1. (informal) An anchorwoman.
   • Williams was co-hosting in place of Katie Couric, a move some have speculated was meant to deprive the possible next anchoress of the CBS Evening News the prime time exposure. 2006 February 11, James Poniewozik, “Live from Turin—Sorry, Torino—It's NBC”, in Time, archived from the original on 12 Aug 2014:
   • Mr. Thompson reportedly booted executives off a cross-continental Citigroup flight to be alone with the impeccably brunette anchoress. 2007 April 16, Max Abelson, “Sold! 'Money Honey,' Hubby Buy $6.5 M. East Side Townhouse”, in New York Observer, retrieved 25 Jan 2012:

Forms