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prin·cess

(prĭnsĭs, -sĕs′, prĭn-sĕs)

1. A woman member of a royal family other than the monarch, especially a daughter of a monarch.

a. A woman who is a ruler of a principality.

b. A woman who is a hereditary ruler; a queen.

3. A noblewoman of varying status or rank.

4. The wife of a prince.

5. A woman regarded as having the status or qualities of a princess.

adj.

Designed to hang in smooth, close-fitting, unbroken lines from shoulder to flared hem: a princess dress.

[Middle English princesse, from Old French, feminine of prince, prince; see PRINCE.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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