Definition of "proprietress" [pro•pri•e•tress]

• A woman who has legal title to something; an owner. (noun)
• A woman who owns or owns and manages a business or other such establishment. See Usage Note at -ess. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The proprietress is a little tight, quite relaxed, and slightly philosophical, leaning against Marlowe, who sits on a stack of Britannicas beside her, watching the window."
• "The proprietress was a crazy old woman never seen without a snifter of brandy in her hand."
• "Maigret called the proprietress, paid for the two drinks."