| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| abbess |
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| SYLLABICATION: | ab·bess |
| PRONUNCIATION: |   b  s |
| NOUN: | 1. The superior of a convent. 2. abbr. Abb. Used as a title for such a person. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Middle English abesse, from Old French, from Late Latin abb tissa, from abbs, abbt-, abbot. See abbot.
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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