Definition

1. Noun:
   • A woman who tends, herds, and guards sheep: A "shepherdess" is a female shepherd, a woman whose occupation is to care for and manage a flock of sheep.

Usage

• The word "shepherdess" is used to specify the gender of the shepherd. It describes a woman performing the traditional pastoral role of guiding, feeding, and protecting sheep, often in rural or pastoral settings.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The young shepherdess led her flock to the high pasture at dawn.
  • In the painting, a shepherdess is depicted watching over her sheep in a peaceful valley.

Advanced Usage

• Historical/Literary Context: The term often evokes a romantic or pastoral image, frequently found in literature, poetry, and art, symbolizing innocence, rural life, or guidance.
  • The poet wrote an ode to the gentle shepherdess of the hills.

Variants and Related Words

• Shepherd (noun): A person, typically without a specified gender, who tends sheep. This is the base word from which "shepherdess" is derived.
  • The shepherd and his dog worked together to round up the sheep.

Synonyms

• Herder (noun): A person who looks after a herd of animals.
• Pastoralist (noun): A person involved in raising livestock, especially in a pastoral setting.

Related Phrases

• Shepherdess's crook: The long, hooked staff traditionally used by a shepherdess to manage her flock.
  • The shepherdess used her crook to guide a stray lamb back to the group.

Noun

1. a woman shepherd