deanessn.
/diːˈnɛs/, /ˈdiːnᵻs/, U.S. /ˈdinəs/ 1. A woman who is head of a female chapter. [Latin decāna, French doyenne.]
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society > faith > church government > council > chapter > member of chapter > [noun] > head > female
deaness1761
1761 L. Sterne Life Tristram Shandy IV. Slawkenbergius's Tale 26 The abbess of Quedlingberg..with the four great dignitaries of her chapter, the prioress, the deaness, the sub-chantress, and senior canoness.
1878 J. R. Seeley Life & Times Stein II. 347 Abbess v. Gilsa, Deaness vom Stein, and Canoness v. Metzsch.
2. humorous. The wife of a dean.
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society > faith > church government > council > chapter > member of chapter > [noun] > head > wife of
deaness1848
1848 E. Ruskin Let. 1 July in W. M. James Order of Release (1948) v. 115 A large party today at the Master of Pembroke's..and ditto in the evening at the Deaness of Christ Church (Mrs. Gaisford).
1884 G. Allen Philistia I. 113 Fancy little Miss Butterfly a rural deaness!
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1894; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1761