Forms: 5 chaunteresse, 6 chanteres, 7 -esse, chauntress, 7– chantress. [a. OF. chanteresse, fem. of chantere, -eor, singer: see CHANTER1 and -ESS.]
† 1. A female magician, sorceress, enchantress.
1430. Lydg., Chron. Troy, I. v. Albe she were a passynge sorceresse And chefest named of any chaunteresse.
2. A female chanter or singer; a singing woman; a songstress; also of birds, etc. arch. or poet.
1450–1530. Myrr. Our Ladye, 36. Hys syster Mary was chyfe chanteres in the womens quyer.
1624. Wotton, Archit. (1672), 66. Those Chanteresses … may live long among so good provisions.
1632. Milton, Penseroso, 63. Thee, chauntress, oft the woods among I woo, to hear thy even-song.
1791. Boswell, Johnson (1831), I. 312, note. She was sister to the Reverend River Jones, chanter of Christ-church cathedral at Oxford, and Johnson used to call her the chantress.
1830. R. Eg.-Warburton, Hunting Songs (1883), 3. With Chorister, Concord, and Chorus, Now Chantress commences her song.
