Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

duenna

noun
du·​en·​na | \ dü-ˈe-nə How to pronounce duenna (audio) , ˈdyü-\

Definition of duenna

1 : an elderly woman serving as governess and companion to the younger ladies in a Spanish or a Portuguese family
2 : chaperone

Other Words from duenna

duennaship \ -​ˌship How to pronounce duennaship (audio) \ noun

First Known Use of duenna

1623, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for duenna

Spanish dueña, from Latin domina mistress — more at dame

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about duenna

Dictionary Entries near duenna

duelistic

duello

duende

duenna

due process

due stamp

duet

Statistics for duenna

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for duenna

The first known use of duenna was in 1623

See more words from the same year

More from Merriam-Webster on duenna

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with duenna

Comments on duenna

What made you want to look up duenna? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

purview

Listen to the pronounciation of purview

the range of authority or knowledge

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Original Meanings Quiz

  • rembrandt-painting-a-young-scholar-and-his-tutor
  • Which of the following is the earliest known sense of the word awe?
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ
Word Winder's CrossWinder

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games