marchioness

== English == === Alternative forms === (marquess): marquise === Etymology === From Medieval Latin marchionissa, feminine form of marchion, from Late Latin marca, from Frankish *markōn (“to mark, mark out, to press with the foot”), from Proto-Germanic *markō (“area, region, edge, rim, border”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈmɑɹʃənɪs/, /mɑɹʃəˈnɛs/ === Noun === marchioness (plural marchionesses) The wife of a marquess. A woman holding the rank of marquess in her own right. (slang, obsolete) An old-fashioned maid-of-all-work; female servant. ==== Synonyms ==== marquise ==== Translations ==== ==== References ==== John Camden Hotten (1873), The Slang Dictionary === Anagrams === monarchises