noun
- elderly women who serve as chaperones or governesses, especially in Spanish and Portuguese families
Usage: plural of duenna; historical
Examples
- The young ladies were always accompanied by their duennas when they went out in public.
- In traditional Spanish households, duennas supervised the education and behavior of unmarried daughters.
- The novel depicted the strict duennas who watched over the aristocratic family’s children.
- During the colonial period, wealthy families employed duennas to maintain proper social conduct.
- The duennas sat quietly in the corner, observing the young people’s conversation.
- Historical accounts describe how duennas served as both protectors and instructors to their charges.