A woman who took religious vows or a vow of chastity.
Example sentencesExamples
Vowesses were often widows but not always.
The Vowess in a blue dress with white hood is kneeling before the Bishop.
Her chapter concerning the library of the London vowess Margery de Nerford also discusses the events surrounding de Nerford's wardship, forced marriage, ensuing divorce, and legal battles.
This discourse of spiritual marriage to Christ might also be used by a widow desiring to avoid remarriage by becoming a vowess.
She was divorced and avoided marriage for the rest of her life, becoming a vowess.