[1300–50; ME ‹ MF arbitresse, equiv. to arbitrearbit(e)r + -esse-ess]This word is first recorded in the period 1300–50. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: address, brace, finish, level, natural-ess is a suffix forming distinctively feminine nouns. Other words that use the affix-ess include: adventuress, heiress, mistress, monitress, waitress