chantress en · NOUN
Etymology
From Middle English chaunteresse, from Old French chanteresse; equivalent to chanter + -ess.
Meanings
-
A female singer or chanter.
Thee Chauntress, oft the woods among / I woo, to hear thy even song.
1646 (indicated as 1645), John Milton, “Penseroso”, in Poems of Mr. John Milton, […], London: […] Ruth Raworth for Humphrey Mosely, […], →OCLC:On this occasion the abbess' kitchen had to provide each lady of the convent with half a goose, the two chantresses, as well as the four usual recipients, receiving doubles, and with a hen or a cock, the fratresses and the subprioress also receiving doubles.
2010, Eileen Power, Medieval English Nunneries: C.1275 to 1535, page 567:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| chantresses | Number=Plur | lexicographic |