n. [ Cf. F. actrice. ] 1. A female actor or doer. [ Obs. ] Cockeram. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A female stageplayer; a woman who acts a part. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A woman who flatters with servility. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An adulteress. [ Obs. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A female ancestor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Arbiter. ] A female arbiter; an arbitratrix. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A female architect. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A female hearer. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ , n. A woman aviator (in senses 1 or 3). [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. A female baker. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a woman who trains ballet dancers. [ PJC ]

n. A woman who confers a benefit. [ 1913 Webster ]

His benefactress blushes at the deed. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. butrasse, boterace, fr. F. bouter to push; cf. OF. bouteret (nom. sing. and acc. pl. bouterez) buttress. See Butt an end, and cf. Butteris. ] 1. (Arch.) A projecting mass of masonry, used for resisting the thrust of an arch, or for ornament and symmetry. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ When an external projection is used merely to stiffen a wall, it is a pier. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Anything which supports or strengthens. “The ground pillar and buttress of the good old cause of nonconformity.” South. [ 1913 Webster ]

Flying buttress. See Flying buttress. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Buttressed (&unr_;); p. pr. & vb. n. Buttressing. ] To support with a buttress; to prop; to brace firmly. [ 1913 Webster ]

To set it upright again, and to prop and buttress it up for duration. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. chanteresse. ] A female chanter or singer. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A nun. [ R. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. A female coadjutor or assistant. Holland. Smollett. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A woman who comforts. [ 1913 Webster ]

To be your comfortress, and to preserve you. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A woman who competes. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A woman who leads or directs; a directress. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A woman who corrects. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A woman who corrupts. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thou studied old corruptress. Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. creatrix: cf. F. créatrice. ] She who creates. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ L. creditrix. ] A female creditor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A female detractor. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A woman who dictates or commands. [ 1913 Webster ]

Earth's chief dictatress, ocean's mighty queen. Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A woman who directs. Bp. Hurd. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. destresse, distresse, OF. destresse, destrece, F. détresse, OF. destrecier to distress, (assumed) LL. districtiare, fr. L. districtus, p. p. of distringere. See Distrain, and cf. Stress. ] 1. Extreme pain or suffering; anguish of body or mind; as, to suffer distress from the gout, or from the loss of friends. [ 1913 Webster ]

Not fearing death nor shrinking for distress. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which occasions suffering; painful situation; misfortune; affliction; misery. [ 1913 Webster ]

Affliction's sons are brothers in distress. Burns. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A state of danger or necessity; as, a ship in distress, from leaking, loss of spars, want of provisions or water, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Law) (a) The act of distraining; the taking of a personal chattel out of the possession of a wrongdoer, by way of pledge for redress of an injury, or for the performance of a duty, as for nonpayment of rent or taxes, or for injury done by cattle, etc. (b) The thing taken by distraining; that which is seized to procure satisfaction. Bouvier. Kent. Burrill. [ 1913 Webster ]

If he were not paid, he would straight go and take a distress of goods and cattle. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

The distress thus taken must be proportioned to the thing distrained for. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

Abuse of distress. (Law) See under Abuse.

Syn. -- Affliction; suffering; pain; agony; misery; torment; anguish; grief; sorrow; calamity; misfortune; trouble; adversity. See Affliction. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Distressed p. pr. & vb. n. Distressing. ] [ Cf. OF. destrecier. See Distress, n. ] 1. To cause pain or anguish to; to pain; to oppress with calamity; to afflict; to harass; to make miserable. [ 1913 Webster ]

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed. 2 Cor. iv. 8. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To compel by pain or suffering. [ 1913 Webster ]

Men who can neither be distressed nor won into a sacrifice of duty. A. Hamilton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Law) To seize for debt; to distrain.

Syn. -- To pain; grieve; harass; trouble; perplex; afflict; worry; annoy. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. facing or experiencing financial trouble or difficulty; as, distressed companies need loans and technical advice.
Syn. -- hard-pressed, hard put, in a bad way(predicate), in trouble(predicate). [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. experienceing a generalized feeling of distress. Also See: dejected, unhappy, sad. Antonym: euphoric.
Syn. -- dysphoric, unhappy. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

3. suffering severe physical strain or discomfort; as, he dropped out of the race, clearly distressed and having difficulty breathing.
Syn. -- stressed, in a bad way(predicate). [ WordNet 1.5 ]

4. emotionally upset.
Syn. -- unstrung. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A state of being distressed or greatly pained. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Full of distress; causing, indicating, or attended with, distress; as, a distressful situation. “Some distressful stroke.” Shak. “Distressful cries.” Pope.
Syn. -- distressing. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Dis*tress"ful*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

n. the quality of causing mental anguish.
Syn. -- seriousness. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

adv. In a distressing manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Causing distress; painful; unpleasant. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A female doctor. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A female editor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. électrice. Cf. Electoress. ] The wife or widow of an elector in the old German empire. Burke.

n. A female emulator. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. enchanteresse. ] A woman versed in magical arts; a sorceress; also, a woman who fascinates. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. L. exactrix. ] A woman who is an exactor. [ R. ] B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf.F. exécutrice. ] An executrix. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A woman who fabricates. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. fauutrix: cf. F. fautrice. ] A patroness. [ Obs. ] Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. fornicatrice, L. fornicatrix. ] A woman guilty of fornication. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Fortresses [ F. forteresse, OF. forteresce, fortelesce, LL. foralitia, fr. L. fortis strong. See Fort, and cf. Fortalice. ] A fortified place; a large and permanent fortification, sometimes including a town; a fort; a castle; a stronghold; a place of defense or security.

Syn. -- Fortress, Fortification, Castle, Citadel. A fortress is constructed for military purposes only, and is permanently garrisoned; a fortification is built to defend harbors, cities, etc.; a castle is a fortress of early times which was ordinarily a palatial dwelling; a citadel is the stronghold of a fortress or city, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To furnish with a fortress or with fortresses; to guard; to fortify. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ For fosteress. ] A woman who feeds and cherishes; a nurse. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A female huckster. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A woman who hunts or follows the chase; as, the huntress Diana. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A female worshiper of idols. [ 1913 Webster ]