shepherdess

noun

shep·​herd·​ess ˈshe-pər-dəs How to pronounce shepherdess (audio)
: a woman or girl who tends sheep
also : a rural girl or woman

Examples of shepherdess in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web There’s also an impressive 1836 drawing of a young shepherdess by Jules Dupre, acquired by the museum in 2009 as part of a bequest from collector Muriel Butkin. Steven Litt, cleveland, 29 Jan. 2023 And Angela Chatelain Avila entertainingly plays most of the play’s female roles, including the neighbor’s gentle-natured wife Beryl, a boy servant, a maid and a shepherdess. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Oct. 2022 Upon being discovered, the Chilean is taken prisoner but his life is spared when it is revealed that the shepherdess is expecting his child. Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 11 Aug. 2022 The Queen was—and will remain—a shepherdess of Britishness: someone to lead the way. John Galliano, Vogue, 19 Sep. 2022 Set in Peru’s Andes, Margarita, a shepherdess, comes upon a dying Chilean soldier who has escaped from a battle. Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 11 Aug. 2022 The third title follows Lucija, a mountain shepherdess who waits for her boyfriend to help her bring her cows down to the valley. Emilio Mayorga, Variety, 23 May 2022 Westwood said her collection was inspired by Boucher’s Daphnis and Chloe, a painting based upon the ancient Greek tale of a shepherd and shepherdess who fall in love without knowing what love is. Leslie Camhi, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2021 The painting depicts a young shepherdess kneeling in prayer side-by-side with an angel before the Lady Madonna. BostonGlobe.com, 27 Aug. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shepherdess.' 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

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shepherdess was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near shepherdess

Cite this Entry

“Shepherdess.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shepherdess. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

shepherdess

noun
shep·​herd·​ess ˈshep-ərd-əs How to pronounce shepherdess (audio)
: a woman who takes care of sheep

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