Forms: 4 traitores, -eresse, (6 -eres), 4–7 trayteresse, (5 -ures, tratouresse), 5–6 traytres(se, (8 -ess), 5–7 traitresse, (6–7 -oresse), 7– traitress. [a. F. traîtresse (13th c. in Godef., Compl.), fem. of traître TRAITOR: see -ESS. In form traitoress f. TRAITOR + -ESS.] A female traitor; a traitorous or treacherous woman (or being personified as a woman). Sometimes in an attenuated or playful sense.
c. 1369. Chaucer, Dethe Blaunche, 620 (Fairf. MS.). Fortune … The trayteresse [v.r. traitores] fals and ful of gyle That al behoteth and no thyng halte.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 7391. That false tratouresse untrewe.
c. 1400. Ywaine & Gaw., 2587. That sho bitrayed hir lady, Als traytures sal sho haue hyr [= hire] Sho be brent her in this fir.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour (1906), 73. For a lytel thynge ye haue vndo yow, and haue be to me traitresse.
a. 1536. Callisto & Melibæa, B iv b. Answere thou traytres how darst be so bold?
1601. Shaks., All’s Well, I. i. 184. A Traitoresse, and a Deare.
1632. J. Hayward, Biondi’s Eromena, 34. Mischievous and accursed Traitresse.
1651. trans. De-las-Coveras’ Don Fenise, 276. She saw the trayteresse Fregonde.
1702. Rowe, Tamerl., IV. i. Death shall free me At once from Infamy and Thee, thou Traytress.
a. 1766. Mrs. F. Sheridan, Nourjahad (1767), 103. The traitoresses! they shall pay dearly for thus abusing my indulgence.
1769. Blackstone, Comm., IV. xiv. 203. If she [the wife] kills such divorced husband, she is a traitress.
1824. Lady Granville, Lett. (1894), I. 255. The French Government released the little traitoresses.
1882. Stevenson, Stud. Men & Bks. (1905), 236. He [Knox] solemnly proclaims all reigning women to be traitoresses and rebels against God.
1884. Tennyson, Becket, II. i. 50. Henry. Traitress! Rosamund. A faithful traitress to thy royal fame.
b. attrib. or as adj. rare.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, I. xxi. 67. Ye are the falsest lady of the world and the most traitresse vnto the kynges person.
1725. Pope, Odyss., IV. 115. By the dire fury of a traitress wife.
