1.NounA female superior or governess of a nunnery, or convent of nuns, having the same authority over the nuns which the abbots have over the monks. .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}
"The abbess was always after the nuns to keep the convent immaculately clean."
2.NounA woman who runs a brothel; a woman employed by a prostitute to find clients.