ˈprezbəd.ərə̇s noun
( -es )
Etymology: part translation of Medieval Latin presbyterissa, from presbyter priest (from Late Latin, presbyter, elder) + Late Latin -issa -ess
1.
a. : the wife of a presbyter or priest in one of the early medieval churches ; especially : one coming under the operation of the rule requiring the continence of clergymen
b. : a priest's concubine
2. : a woman serving as a presbyter or elder in one of the early medieval churches : one of a body of aged widows dedicated to the service of the church and constituting an ecclesiastical order
3. : the wife of a priest of the Eastern Orthodox Church