Wiktionary

mayoress

English edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

From Middle English meyresse, mayresse, mairasse; equivalent to mayor +‎ -ess.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

mayoress (plural mayoresses, masculine mayor)

  1. A female mayor.
    • 1993, Ian S. Uys, Bushman soldiers, their alpha and omega, page 39:
      The blonde mayoress was apparently a member of the MPLA and there were indications that spies in the town were sending radio messages to the enemy. Life was monotonous and the troops took to fishing to supplement their rations.
    • 2002, Andy Lane, Paul Simpson, The Bond Files: An Unofficial Guide, →ISBN, page 276:
      With the Spanish port of Cadiz doubling for the Cuban capital Havana, its striking blonde Mayoress Teofila Martinez was offered a small role as a nurse, but she politely declined.
  2. The wife of a (male) mayor.
    • 1658, Iohn Eliot, Poems, or, Epigrams, Satyrs, Elegies, Songs and Sonnets, upon Several Persons and Occasions, London: […] Henry Brome, page 48:
      To a Lady Majoress.
      WHen I behold your head and limbs all shaking
      Much like a Custard newly come from baking,
      Your Velvet hood on tipto rais’d upright
      As if your Hinch boy challenge would to fight.
      Your pretty mouth, like Oyster gaping wide,
      As if it did expect ere long the tyde;
      Your Chin like Aple, both so red and shrivel’d,
      So scalded by a hot rhume hourly drivel’d.
    • 1660, John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon These Following Books of Holy Scripture Proverbs of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, the Song of Songs, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel & Daniel: Being a Third Volume of Annotations upon the Whole Bible, London: […] Robert White, for Nevil Simmons, page 42:
      Prophets wives were anciently called Prophetesses; like as Bishops wives (saith à Lapide the Jesuit) were also called Bishoppesses, Presbyters wives Presbyteresses, Deacons wives Deaconesses: Jesuits have still their Jesuitesses, as Majors their Majoresses, &c.
    • 1681, The Glory of the English Nation, or An Essay on the Birth-Day of King Charles the Second, London: […] W. Bucknel:
      No Roman-Empress ever did out-shine,
      A Lady Majoress when she would be fine.
  3. A daughter or female friend of a male mayor chosen by him to hold the title mayoress.

Synonyms edit

Antonyms edit

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