protectress

noun

pro·​tec·​tress prə-ˈtek-trəs How to pronounce protectress (audio)
: a woman who is a protector

Examples of protectress in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In Gracie Gardner’s two-character play, now at Writers Theatre in Glencoe, Athena is not the protectress of Athens but the nom de plum of a 17-year-old high school fencer who likes having a warrior moniker inside the more usual tool kit of lunge, parry and riposte. Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2022 If Gemma was Dante’s Penelope, Beatrice was his Athena—the divine protectress of his odyssey. Judith Thurman, The New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2021 Brizo is named for a minor Greek goddess who was a protectress of fishermen, and arriving guests are greeted by a colorful floor mural of the deity, fetchingly mermaid-like, brandishing a trident. Rand Richards Cooper, courant.com, 10 July 2019 The poet laureate of intoxicating romance looks up at the night sky and finds a protectress. Marc Hirsh, BostonGlobe.com, 20 June 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'protectress.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1570, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of protectress was in 1570

Dictionary Entries Near protectress

Cite this Entry

“Protectress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/protectress. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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