governante

noun

gov·​er·​nante
ˈgəvə(r)nənt
variants or gouvernante
ˈgüv-,
¦güv-
plural -s
1
archaic : a woman having charge of a young person : chaperone sense 2, governess sense 2
attended by … an old gentlewoman for her governanteJedidiah Morse
2
archaic : the mistress of a household : housekeeper
3
obsolete : governess sense 1
the government devolved upon the princess, as governante during her son's minorityTobias Smollett

Word History

Etymology

French gouvernante, from feminine of gouvernant, present participle of gouverner to govern, administer, bring up, from Old French governer

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Dictionary Entries Near governante

Cite this Entry

“Governante.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/governante. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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