A female writer who has printed her compositions.--Jodrell's Philology.
The use of this word has been questioned in England. It is not in Johnson's Dictionary, and as he says, it is not much used. This was sixty years ago. The British Critic, in the year 1793, says of it, "We do not acknowledge the word." Since that time Mr. Todd has inserted it in his edition of Johnson's Dictionary, from Cotgrave, (French, authrice, or autrix, authoress, or actress,) and defines it, "a female efficient." This sense of the word is different from that in which we use it.
O Amarillis, auth'ress of my flame!--Fanshawe, Pasi. Fido.
Albeit, his (Adam's) loss, without God's mercy, was absolutely irrecoveralbe; yet we never find he twitted her as authoress of his fall.--Feltham.
Mrs. Montagu, the justly celebrated authoress of the Essay on the Genius and Writings of our Author.--Steven's Notes, Hamlet.