Usuress

Pronunciation

• RP IPA: /ËŒjuːʒəˈɹɛs/, /ËŒjuːzjəˈɹɛs/

Origin

From usure, “to practice usury” + -(e)ss, feminine agent-nounal suffix.

Full definition of usuress

Noun

1. (rare) A female usurer.The Chambers Dictionary (1998)The Oxford English Dictionary (2007)“usuress” listed at wordnavigator.comThat woman — that usuress — only lent me £20, but expected £50 back after just one week!

Usage notes

Some English speakers distinguish between the masculine or epicene usurer and the feminine usuress; this is very rare, however, and the vast majority of speakers use usurer in all cases.

Synonyms

• loan shark

Related terms

• usurer
• usurial
• usurious
• usury