Obs. Forms: 4–7 spousesse, 5–7 spowsesse, 6 spouses. [f. SPOUSE sb. + -ESS1.] A female spouse; a wife, bride. Also, a betrothed or affianced woman.
Chiefly fig. in religious use (cf. SPOUSE sb. 3).
1388. Wyclif, Isaiah lxi. 11. As a spouse made feir with a coroun, and as a spousesse ourned with her brochis.
1395. Purvey, Remonstr. (1851), 53. Bi sovereyn wisdom, goodnesse, and love to holi chirche his spousesse.
c. 1430. Life St. Kath. (1884), 21. The Spouse loueth the Spousesse, the Sauyour visiteth hir.
c. 1480. in Lib. Pontif. Bainbridge (Surtees), 238. To kepe us his true handmaydyns, virgins, and spousessis.
1513. Bradshaw, St. Werburge, I. 3076. Her spouse Ihesus hauynge pyte and cure Vpon his spouses.
1547. trans. Abp. Herman’s Consultation, H h vj. They whiche haue mutually promised matrimonie betwene themselues shal go both the spouse and spousesse [etc.].
1615. Curry-Combe for Coxe-Combe, iv. 157. The Mother of Christians, the Spousesse of the Holy Ghost.
