bastardess
English edit
Etymology edit
From bastard + -ess, since 1843.
Noun edit
bastardess (plural bastardesses)
- (dated, rare) A woman who was born out of wedlock, and hence often considered an illegitimate descendant.
- 1843, David Aaron De Sola, Morris Jacob Raphall, Eighteen Treatises from the Mishna, page 217:
- […] when a bastard marries a bastardess, and he has a legitimate Israelite brother :–all these marriages are indeed legal […]
- (vulgar, offensive or derogatory, referring specifically to a woman) A contemptible, inconsiderate, overly or arrogantly rude or spiteful woman.
- 2019, Christina Bauer, My Necromancer Romance, page 371:
- A bastardess like me would never be allowed past the door.
Usage notes edit
- Bastard may also be used to refer to a female bastard.