Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A noblewoman.
  • noun A woman who holds a peerage by descent or appointment.
  • noun A woman who holds a title by association, as the wife or widow of a peer.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The consort of a peer; a woman ennobled by descent, by creation, or by marriage.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The wife of a peer; a woman ennobled in her own right, or by right of marriage.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A noblewoman married to a peer
  • noun A woman holding a noble title in her own right.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a woman of the peerage in Britain

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Better have been admired as a governess than shunned as a peeress, which is what she will be.

    The Hand of Ethelberta 2006

  • Better have been admired as a governess than shunned as a peeress, which is what she will be.

    The Hand of Ethelberta Thomas Hardy 1884

  • The peeress or daughter of a peer received a kiss from Queen Victoria.

    The Court Presentation | Edwardian Promenade 2007

  • The fact Broon has had to scour round and replace her with a peeress proves that.

    FLINT SHOWS SOME SPARKS 2009

  • She would then approach the Monarch, curtseying as low as possible "so as almost to kneel and the Queen kisses her on the forehead if she is a peeress or peer's daughter, or extends her hand to be kissed, if the lady is a commoner."

    Archive 2009-02-01 2009

  • She would then approach the Monarch, curtseying as low as possible "so as almost to kneel and the Queen kisses her on the forehead if she is a peeress or peer's daughter, or extends her hand to be kissed, if the lady is a commoner."

    Coming Out 2009

  • Brown is obviously not terribly impressed by the talent he has available in his own party, as judged by the stories of his offering a number of posts to prominent Lib-Dem peers such as Paddy Ashdown and Lord Carlile; according to press reports he was also keen to offer the health portfolio to the Lib-Dem peeress Rabbi Julia Neuberger.

    Another Rebuff for Gordon Brown 2007

  • She has exercised power in her own sphere as a peeress in her own right a rare and, for most men of the time, unsettling creature but it is not until she sees the glitter and intrigue at court that she both fully comes to appreciate her place in that world and grows up some.

    REVIEW: Devilish by Jo Beverley 2007

  • She has exercised power in her own sphere as a peeress in her own right a rare and, for most men of the time, unsettling creature but it is not until she sees the glitter and intrigue at court that she both fully comes …

    2007 April 18 | Dear Author: Romance Novel Reviews, Industry News, and Commentary 2007

  • She has exercised power in her own sphere as a peeress in her own right a rare and, for most men of the time, unsettling creature but it is not until she sees the glitter and intrigue at court that she both fully comes to appreciate her place in that world and grows up some.

    Dear Author: Romance Novel Reviews, Industry News, and Commentary » REVIEW: Devilish by Jo Beverley » Print 2007

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