duenna

duenna
duennaship, n.
/dooh en"euh, dyooh-/, n.
1. (in Spain and Portugal) an older woman serving as escort or chaperon of a young lady.
2. a governess.
[1660-70; < Sp duenna (now dueña) < L domina, fem. of dominus master]

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Duenna — Du*en na, n.; pl. {Duennas}. [Sp. due[ n]a, do[ n]a, fr. L. domina. See {Dame}.] 1. The chief lady in waiting on the queen of Spain. Brande. [1913 Webster] 2. An elderly lady holding a station between a governess and companion, and appointed to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Duenna — Duenna, in Spanien: Ehrendame, Erzieherin, Matrone, einem jungen Frauenzimmer als Hüterin beigegeben …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • duenna — 1660s, chief lady in waiting upon the queen of Spain, also an elderly woman in charge of girls from a Spanish family, from Sp. dueña married lady, mistress (fem. of dueño master ), from L. domina (see DAME (Cf. dame)). Sense extended in English… …   Etymology dictionary

  • duenna — [do͞o en′ə, dyo͞oen′ə] n. [Sp dueña < L domina, mistress: see DAME] 1. an elderly woman who has charge of the girls and young unmarried women of a Spanish or Portuguese family 2. a chaperon or governess …   English World dictionary

  • duenna —    (doo EHN nah) [Spanish, from Latin] In Spain and Portugal, an older woman who acts as a chaperon, escort, or companion to a young lady; a governess.    As a young woman of good family, she could not receive a suitor without the presence of a… …   Dictionary of foreign words and phrases

  • duenna — noun Etymology: Spanish dueña, from Latin domina mistress more at dame Date: 1623 1. an elderly woman serving as governess and companion to the younger ladies in a Spanish or a Portuguese family 2. chaperone • …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • duenna — noun a) a chaperon of a young lady, usually an older woman. b) a governess or nanny …   Wiktionary

  • duenna — Synonyms and related words: abigail, amah, au pair girl, ayah, betweenmaid, biddy, bodyguard, cavalier, chambermaid, chaperon, companion, conductor, convoy, cook, dame, educatress, escort, esquire, fellow traveler, femme de chambre, fille de… …   Moby Thesaurus

  • duenna — see DAME …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

  • duenna —  Governess or chaperon; in Spanish, dueña …   Bryson’s dictionary for writers and editors

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