seamstress, sempstress
(ˈsiːmstrɪs, ˈsɛm(p)strɪs)
Forms: α. 7 semstress(e, seamstresse, 8 seemstress, 9 semstress, 7– seamstress; β. (7 sempstresse, sempstriss), 7– sempstress.
[f. seamster, sempster + -ess.]
A woman who seams or sews; a needlewoman whose occupation is plain sewing as distinguished from dress or mantle-making, decorative embroidery, etc.
| α 1644 Howell Twelve Treat. (1661) 47 A great masse of money and plate was brought into the Guild-hall, the Semstresse brought in her silver Thimble,..the Cook his Spoons. 1665 Pepys Diary 8 Apr., To the Old Exchange, and there, of my pretty seamstress, bought four bands. 1711 Steele Spect. No. 182 ¶3 An Irish Fellow, who dresses very fine..and is the Admiration of Seamstresses who are under Age in Town. 1872 Daily News 24 July, The wrongs and hardships of the seamstress and the milliner have been set forth in thrilling poetry. |
| β a 1613 Overbury Charact., Maquerela Wks. (1856) 100 Shee can easily turne a sempstresse into a waiting gentle⁓woman. 1659–60 Pepys Diary 2 Feb, I..went to Mrs. Johnson, my Lord's sempstress. 1726 Swift Gulliver i. vi, Two hundred sempstresses were employed to make me shirts, and linen for my bed and table. 1758 Johnson Idler No. 33 ¶23 My sempstress..has lost the measure. 1871 Daily News 6 Nov., Among the prisoners..were two women—a sempstress..and a servant. |
Hence
ˈseamstressing nonce-wd., the action of working as a seamstress.
ˈseamstress-ship, the position, work, or skill of a seamstress.
| 1816 Scott Antiq. xvi, The little apartment was..ornamented too by such relics of her youthful arts of sempstress-ship as Mrs. Hadoway had retained. a 1854 C. A. Southey Poet. Wks. (1867) 94 And near at hand [sat] The maiden sister friend..At her coarse sempstresship. 1873 Mrs. Whitney Other Girls vii, Dull work in the great ware⁓rooms, or now and then all days' seamstressing in families. |