compositress

English

Alternative forms

• compositoress

Etymology

From compositor +‎ -ess.

Noun

compositress (plural compositresses)

1. (dated) female equivalent of compositor
   • 1680, Philostratus, “Apollonius as he was brought to the King, discours’d concerning the Wife of a certain Pamphylian, who was acquainted with Sappho, to the end he might not seem to admire the King’s Bravery: afterwards being come into the King’s Presence, he had a large Conference with him; and how the King admired him”, in Charles Blount, transl., The Two First Books of Philostratus, Concerning the Life of Apollonius Tyaneus: […], London: […] Nathaniel Thompson, book 1 (Concerning the Life of Apollonius the Tyanæan), page 130:

     Now beſides Sappho, we read of many others of that Sex famous for Learning, as Demophila the Pamphylian’s Wife whom Apollonius here mentions; Proba the Roman Conſul’s Wife, who (A. D. 424.) wrote in Heroick Verſe the Contents of the Old and New Teſtament, ſo far as the deſcending of the Holy Ghoſt; Corinna, who was Ovid’s Beloved; Elpia, the Wife of Boetius; Polla, Wife to Lucan the Poet, who often help’d her Husband in the compoſure of his Pharſalia; Lesbia, Miſtreſs to Catullus; Cornificia, the Roman Poeteſs; Thesbia, the Compoſitreſs of Epigrams; and the other famous Poeteſs Corinna, who five times vanquiſh’d Pindar in the Poetical Art, wherein he had challenged her to contend in the City of Thebes; neither muſt we here omit the late ingenious Mrs. Phillips, our Engliſh Sappho.

   • 1871 June 3, ““A Home by the Sea.””, in The Wisconsin State Register‎^[1], volume 11, number 13, Portage, Wis.:

     But if you want to hear the song free gratis, (perhaps you have never heard it!) call around at our office any day, at nearly any hour, and you can be accommodated. And it will be given in pretty good style, too, with piano accompaniment. Don’t imagine, for a moment, that we will sing it for you, or allow any of our compositresses to. Oh, no; we couldn’t stand it so near as that; but mellowed down by the width of the street, we manage to endure it.

   • 1888 December 22, “Women Who Work. The Part They Take in the Routine of Government. Something about Female Employes in Different Branches of the Government Service—How Women First Came to Be Employed as Clerks—Women and the Civil Service.”, in The Evening Star, volume 73, number 12,005, Washington, D.C., page 11:

     the pay of women in the government printing office is not excessive. The millionairesses among the female sex in that institution are to be found among the “compositresses,” for none of them make less than the regular men’s wages—$3.20 per diem—and some of them make a good deal more.

   • 1889 April 25, “News in This Vicinity. Clippings and Condensations with Shears and Pencil. Interesting News from Cattaraugus and Neighboring Counties, Being Wheat Winowed^[sic] from a Multitude of Chaff. Facts. Fancy and Comment.”, in The Olean Democrat‎^[2], volume X, number 22, Olean, N.Y.:

     Miss [Ada C.] Malone was formerly an employess of the Mirror as compositress and was the champion type-setteress of the office.

   • 1908 July 9, “Celebration a Success: Parade the Feature—Athletic Events Pulled Off—List of Winners”, in The Papillion Times‎^[3], thirty-fifth year, number 15, Papillion, Neb.:

     The rig representing the Papilllon^[sic] Times, which was decorated in white and trimmed in red was also in line, Miss Elsie Durkop, one of the compositresses in the Times office, making herself very popular by distributing neat Japanese fans during the parade.

   • 1920 September 3, Richford Gazette‎^[4], number 21, Richford, Vt.:

     Miss Dora Hunter, a compositress in The Gazette office, is passing a two-weeks vacation with relatives and friends in Fairfield and Highgate.