[Forms: 4–5 avoutres, avoutresse, avowtresse, 6 advoutrice, 6–7 advoutresse, advouteresse, 7 adultresse, adulteresse, 8– adulteress, occ. adultress. [The form in -trice imitates Fr.; but the earliest form is a. OFr. avotresse, avoutresse f. avoutre; cf. maître, maîtresse, and see -ESS. It is thus, formally, the feminine of ADULTER, not of the later adulter-er.] A woman that commits adultery.
1382. Wyclif, Lev. xx. 10. Thurȝ deth dye both the lecchour and the auowtres [1388 bothe auowter and auowtresse].
1502. Arnold, Chron. (1811), 275. Yf ony weddyd woman bee aduoutrice.
1548. Hall, Chron. (1809), 365. To pretende that his awne mother was an avoutresse.
1553. Udall, Rois. Dois. (1869), 81. Thou didst helpe the aduoutresse that she might be amended.
1567. Jewel, Def. of Apol. (1611), 176. She is twice an Aduouteresse.
1611. Shaks., Wint. T., II. i. 78. But be’t knowne … Shee’s an Adultresse.
1611. Bible, James iv. 4. Ye adulterers and adulteresses.
1625. Bacon, Ess., xix. 303. This kinde of danger, is then to be feared … that they be aduoutresses.
1626. Massinger, Rom. Actor, I. iii. Bringing on the stage a loose adulteress.
1697. Dryden, Virgil (J.). Helen’s rich attire; From Argos by the fam’d adult’ress brought.
1784. Cowper, Task, III. 64. Th’ adultress! what a theme for angry verse.
1845. Whewell, Elem. Morality, IV. v. § 728. The adulteress was to be repudiated and otherwise punished.
