DictionaryRoot: marchio
Latin
marchio
marquis
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noun
marchioness
mar-shuh-NES/ˌmɑːrʃəˈnes/
A noblewoman ranking below a duchess and above a countess.
Etymology
The feminine form of “marquis” first denoted a marquis’s wife or widow. The underlying title recalls rulers of frontier territories, later becoming a rank below duke and above count.