"woman having charge of a religious house" (next in rank to an abbess), c. 1300, from Old French prioresse and directly from Medieval Latin priorissa, from prior "head of a priory of men" (see prior (n.)).
Entries linking to prioress
prior n.
"superior officer of a religious house or order," Middle English priour, from late Old English, and directly from Medieval Latin prior "superior officer," noun use of Latin adjective meaning "former, superior" (see prior (adj.)). As short for prior arrest, by 1990, American English.