governess

From Middle English governesse, a contracted form of governeresse, from Old French governeresse (“female ruler or administrator”).

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈɡʌvɚnəs/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈɡʌvənəs/, /ˈɡʌvnəs/

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governess (plural governesses, masculine governor)

1. A woman paid to educate children in their own home.
   • 1917, Constance Garnett, An Upheaval, translation of original by Anton Chekhov:

     [Mashenka Pavletsky] returning from a walk to the house of the Kushkins, with whom she was living as a governess, found the household in a terrible turmoil.

   • 1990 January 12, Bill Watterson, Calvin & Hobbes (comic):

     Boy, you are a crabby lady! Who are you? Calvin's cruel governess?

   • September 8 2022, Stephen Bates, “Queen Elizabeth II obituary”, in The Guardian‎:

     it was then still just possible to have a relatively normal life at the family’s 25-bedroom mansion at 145 Piccadilly, from where the baby was taken for a two-hour constitutional in her pram to Hyde Park and back every day by her governess.

2. (rare) A female governor.
   • 2008, @tiredofher, CNN‎:

     I cannot begin to tell you how tired I am of this woman and all she stands for and all those shallow people who think an Alaskan governess has what it takes to be a VP.

• governoress (rare)

• governess-cart
• governessless
• governesslike
• governesshood
• governess-ship
• governessy

governess (third-person singular simple present governesses, present participle governessing, simple past and past participle governessed)

1. To work as governess; to educate children in their own home.