noun
- the office, position, or role of a duenna (a woman, typically older and of high social standing, who acts as a chaperone or governess)
Usage: formal; somewhat archaic; chiefly historical
Examples
- She accepted the duennaship with great responsibility, understanding her duty to protect the young lady's reputation.
- The duennaship of the Spanish household required strict adherence to social conventions.
- Her duennaship lasted until the girl was safely married.
- The novel depicts the rigid expectations placed upon those in duennaship during the Victorian era.