countess

countess
   A title used by the wife or widow of a count, the wife or widow of an earl or a woman who, in her own right, has a position equal to that of a count or earl. Charlotte Brontë, in Villette, has: ‘I am a countess now. Papa, mamma and the girls at home will be delighted to hear that. “My daughter, the Countess! My sister, the Countess!” Bravo! Sounds rather better than Mrs John Bretton, hein?’

A dictionary of epithets and terms of address . . 2015.

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  • Countess — Allg …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Countess — Count ess (kount ?s), n.; pl. {Countesses} ( ?s). [F. comtesse. See {Count} a nobleman.] The wife of an earl in the British peerage, or of a count in the Continental nobility; also, a lady possessed of the same dignity in her own right. See the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • countess — mid 12c., adopted in Anglo Fr. for the wife of an earl, from M.L. cometissa, fem. of L. comes count (see COUNT (Cf. count) (n.)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • countess — ► NOUN 1) the wife or widow of a count or earl. 2) a woman holding the rank of count or earl …   English terms dictionary

  • countess — [kount′is] n. [ME countesse < OFr contesse < ML cometissa: see COUNT2 & ESS] 1. the wife or widow of a count or earl 2. a noblewoman whose rank is equal to that of a count or earl …   English World dictionary

  • Countess of Eu — See also: Count of Eu Contents 1 Countess consort of Eu 1.1 House of Normandy, 996–1246 1.2 House of Lusignan, 1219–1260 1.3 …   Wikipedia

  • Countess — Coun|tess 〈[ kaʊntıs] f.; , es [ tısız]; engl. Bez. für〉 Gräfin (Frau eines Earls od. Counts) * * * Coun|tess [ ka̮untɪs ], die; , es […tɪsɪz], auch en [… tɛsn̩] [engl. countess < frz. comtesse, ↑ Komtess]: 1. <o. Pl.> englischer Titel… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • countess — /kown tis/, n. 1. the wife or widow of a count in the nobility of Continental Europe or of an earl in the British peerage. 2. a woman having the rank of a count or earl in her own right. [1125 75; ME c(o)untesse < AF. See COUNT2, ESS] Usage. See… …   Universalium

  • countess — UK [ˈkaʊntɪs] / US [ˈkaʊntəs] noun [countable] Word forms countess : singular countess plural countesses a woman who is a member of the nobility. A countess is either a woman with the same rank as an earl or a count, or the wife of an earl or… …   English dictionary

  • countess — [[t]ka͟ʊntɪs[/t]] countesses N COUNT; N TITLE; N VOC A countess is a woman who has the same rank as a count or earl, or who is married to a count or earl. ...the Countess of Lichfield …   English dictionary

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