stepdaughter
(ˈstɛpdɔːtə(r))
[OE. stéopdohtor: see step-. Cf. MLG. stêfdochter, Du. stiefdochter, MHG., mod.G. stieftochter, ON. stj{uacu}pdóttir (Sw. styfdotter, Da. stifdatter).]
A daughter, by a former marriage, of one's husband or wife.
| a 850 Kentish Glosses in Wr.-Wülcker 88/20 Filiaster, steopdohtor. 912 MS. Vesp. D xiv. lf. 170 Prouigna, stefdohtor. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) V. 103 Theodora þe step-douȝter [1432–50 tr. Higden stappe-doȝhter] of Herculeus Maximianus. 14.. Lat.-Eng. Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 605 Pri⁓vigna, a stypdowtur. 1581 G. Pettie tr. Guazzo's Civ. Conv. iii. (1586) 121 In families there are..the step Mother, and the steppe Daughter, the Coosins and Allies. 1681 Fountainhall Hist. Notices (Bannatyne Club) I. 343 Lady Sophia Lindsay, his stepdaughter. 1791 Boswell Johnson an. 1776, Next morning he introduced me to Mrs. Lucy Porter, his step-daughter. 1913 C. Read in Eng. Hist. Rev. Jan. 48 Leicester was planning to marry his step-daughter to James. |
Hence ˈstepdaughtership.
| 1876 Mrs. Whitney Sights & Insights xiii, She was keenly delicate of her step-daughtership. |