Meanings
plural chantresses
- A female singer or chanter.
Thee Chauntress, oft the woods among / I woo, to hear thy even song.
1646 (indicated as 1645), John Milton, “Penseroso”, in Poems of Mr. John Milton, […], London: […] Ruth Raworth for Humphrey Mosely, […], →OCLC1 more example
On this occasion the abbess' kitchen had to provide each lady of the convent with half a goose, the two chantresses, as well as the four usual recipients, receiving doubles, and with a hen or a cock, the fratresses and the subprioress also receiving doubles.
2010, Eileen Power, Medieval English Nunneries: C.1275 to 1535, page 567Synonyms: chanteuse
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA female singer or chanter.
Origin
- Old Frenchchanteresse
- Middle Englishchaunteresse
- Englishchantress
From Middle English chaunteresse, from Old French chanteresse; equivalent to chanter + -ess.
More words from Middle English, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
chantress. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chantress
“chantress.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chantress. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “chantress,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chantress.
Source: chantress on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.