noun
- plural of portress; female gatekeepers or doorkeepers, especially at convents, schools, or other institutions
Usage: formal; somewhat archaic
Examples
- The convent’s portresses carefully screened all visitors before allowing entry.
- Two elderly portresses managed the entrance to the boarding school.
- The portresses maintained strict security at the monastery gates.
- Visitors had to register with the portresses upon arrival.
- The portresses worked in shifts to ensure constant supervision of the entrance.