duenna means A chaperon of a young lady, usually an older woman. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 86 out of 100.
duenna is pronounced /duˈɛ.nə/.
Why “duenna” is a great word
DUENNA — [Noun] An elderly woman, especially in Spanish or Portuguese contexts, employed as governess, companion, and chaperone for a young lady. From Old Spanish *duenna* or *dueña*, from Vulgar Latin *donna* ("lady"), from Latin *domina* ("mistress, lady"). A doublet of *dame*. Unlike "chaperone," a general supervisor, or "governess," a private tutor, the duenna is a specifically Iberian instrument of social vigilance for a young woman of marriageable age. She is the rustle of black taffeta in a sun-drenched courtyard, the unblinking shadow at the edge of a suitor’s conversation, the dry hand resting like a paperweight on a fervent letter—a living monument to the notion that innocence is a condition requiring constant, watchful confinement.
Etymology
From Old Spanish duenna or dueña, from Vulgar Latin donna, from Latin domina (“Lady”). Doublet of dame.
noun
- A chaperon of a young lady, usually an older woman.“'Madam, I have a secret to tell you.' Now the very word secret is enough to rouse any one's curiosity; and, giving a quick glance round to see if her duennas were on the alert, she prepared to listen, and I saw that her eye had caught sight of the letter.”
- A governess or nanny.