governess
governess Lexical Profile
governess Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A woman employed in a private household to teach and train the children, typically living with the family.
"In the nineteenth-century novel, the young governess was hired to teach French and music to the wealthy landowner's daughters."
A female governor or ruler, or the wife of a governor (now rare or archaic).
"The historical chronicle referred to the queen regent as the supreme governess of the realm."
• verb
To work as a governess, or to instruct and supervise someone in the manner of a governess.
"After finishing her schooling, she governessed for several prominent families in the countryside."
Word Nuance & Usage
Historically, a governess differed from a nanny or nursemaid by being an educated woman responsible for academic instruction and social refinement rather than basic physical childcare.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in Middle English from Anglo-Norman governeresse, a feminine derivative of Old French governeor ('governor'), ultimately from Latin gubernare ('to steer a ship, direct, or rule').