governess
22
7.9
- noun
- /ˈɡʌvərnɪs/
:
institutriz
- The fairy tales, read to me over and over again by my governess, triggered a whole realm of wonderment.
- an English governess
Examples
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Have you ever been a live-in governess?
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A sharp wind made the governess wrap her green wool cloak more tightly around her.
Fiction book (1993) -
Richard is going to need a governess for some years to come.
Fiction book (1990) -
I came here as a governess, and he offered me an easier life than that.
Fiction book (1994) -
You can introduce me to your new governess.
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My governess dragged me home.
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She was a governess in the family of some Roman prince, and got involved with the son of the house.
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That's who she is, a governess.
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My eldest aunt then suggested that a post as governess would be the best.
Fiction book (1994) -
The children were excited to meet their new governess, who would help them learn and grow.
Synonyms
A woman who lives with a family to teach and care for children
How Old-Fashioned
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Governess comes from the root govern, which means 'to guide' or 'to rule', plus the ending -ess that marks a woman. Think of a governess as someone who 'steers' a child's learning and behavior, just like a governor or a captain guides a ship, which is why it means a woman who teaches and cares for children in a home.