governante
noun
gov·er·nante
ˈgəvə(r)nənt
variants or gouvernante
ˈgüv-,
¦güv-
plural -s
1
archaic : a woman having charge of a young person : chaperone sense 2, governess sense 2
attended by … an old gentlewoman for her governante
Jedidiah Morse
Jedidiah Morse2
archaic : the mistress of a household : housekeeper
3
obsolete : governess sense 1
the government devolved upon the princess, as governante during her son's minority Tobias Smollett
Tobias Smollett
Word History
Etymology
French gouvernante, from feminine of gouvernant, present participle of gouverner to govern, administer, bring up, from Old French governer