Dictionary

peeress en · NOUN

Pronunciation

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Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-West Germanic *pūrijan Old English *pȳran Middle English peren English peer Late Latin -issader. Old French -essebor. Middle English -esse English -ess English peeress From peer + -ess.

Meanings

1. A noblewoman married to a peer.
   • But there were more than a score of peers there beside, with their peeresses in tall feathers, diamonds, and monstrous hoops. 1863, J[oseph] Sheridan Le Fanu, “Being a Chapter of Hoops, Feathers, and Brilliants, and Bucks and Fiddlers”, in The House by the Church-yard. […], volume II, London: Tinsley, Brothers, […], →OCLC, page 208:
2. A woman holding a noble title in her own right.
   • [I]t is obvious that the Californian heiress is not the only gainer by an alliance which will enable her to make the easy and common transition from a Republican lady to a British peeress. 1892 [April], A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. X.—The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor.”, in Geo[rge] Newnes, editor, The Strand Magazine: An Illustrated Monthly, volume III (January to June), number [16], London: George Newnes, Limited, […], page 388, column 1:

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