Word Study
[2x]
:
-ess
CIDE DICTIONARY
-ess, [OF. -esse, LL. -issa, Gr. .].
A suffix used to form feminine nouns; as, actress, deaconess, songstress. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
-ess, suffix forming nouns denoting females (actress; lioness; mayoress).
-ess, suffix forming abstract nouns from adjectives (duress).
Etymology
ME f. F -esse f. L -itia; cf. -ICE
For further exploring for "-ess" in Webster Dictionary Online