commentatress

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English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From commentator +‎ -ess.

Noun[edit]

commentatress (plural commentatresses)

  1. (dated) female equivalent of commentator
    • 1781, Xsmwpdribvnwlxy: or, The Sauce-Pan, London: [] W. Richardson, page 34:
      Stiffetta’s cumbrous critiques.] A marvellous commentatreſs. Her Latin quotations to prove this prodigious fact—that Shakeſpeare had genius, are ſtrong marks of a laborious ingenuity, or an ingenious labour, take your choice—but when you are aſſured that the ſhe knows no more Latin than profeſſors of anatomy, you cannot help confeſſing that the noble lady is palpably inſpired.
    • 1852, Henry Thomas Riley, The Comedies of Plautus Literally Translated into English Prose, with Notes, volumes II (Containing the Amphitryon, Rudens, Mercator, Cistellaria, Truculentus, Persa, Casina, Pœnulus, Epidicus, Mostellaria, and Fragments), London: Henry G. Bohn, page 101:
      Thornton appears to be right in considering this a far-fetched conceit on the part of the fair Commentatress.
    • 1896 January 10, Arnold Haultain, “The Woman’s Bible”, in The Week: A Journal for Men and Women, volume XIII, number 7, Toronto: The Week Publishing Company, Limited, page 162:
      The object of the Commentary seems to be to controvert the prevailing opinion—at least the Commentators (or is it Commentatresses?) seem to think it the prevailing opinion—that the Bible regards women as inferior to men.
    • 1947 February 8, “The Criminal Record: The Saturday Review’s Guide to Detective Fiction”, in The Saturday Review of Literature, volume XXX, number 6, New York, N.Y.: Saturday Review Associates, Inc., page 28:
      Swift and deadly action; interesting people—especially pugnacious radio commentatress and erring hubby; hard-to-guess solution . . and fairly foggy motive.
    • 1973 February 6, Bob Phillips, “On The Roof”, in Birmingham Post-Herald, volume 102, number 285, Birmingham, Ala., section “Strategy somewhat limited”, page 11:
      Scott talks at length with commentatress Shirley Englehorn concerning the weighty decisions to be made.
    • 2008, Michael Kinsley, “Triumph of the Right-Wing Dorks”, in Please Don’t Remain Calm: Provocations and Commentaries, New York, N.Y., London: W. W. Norton & Company, →ISBN, page 93:
      The emergence of the Right-Wing Dork (RWD) as a recognizable political type, whether running for office in Britain or conspiring behind the scenes in America, is a significant development. (It may even be as significant as the roughly simultaneous emergence of the Leggy Blond Right-Wing Commentatress—a development that has gotten far more attention, for some reason.)

Synonyms[edit]