# swordmistress
## English
### Alternative forms

* swordsmistress

### Etymology

From sword +‎ mistress.

### Noun

swordmistress (plural swordmistresses)
* A female expert or consummate swordfighter.
** 1978, Andre Norton, Quag Keep, New York, N.Y.: Atheneum, →ISBN, page 55:“My mother, having put aside the Unicom and followed her will of union, became swordmistress and teacher. But our clan fell into hard days and there were three harvests that were too thin to support any but the old and the very young. Therefore, those who were still hearty of arm, who could ride and fight—and my mother was a Valkyrie”—Yevele’s head lifted proudly,—“took council together. […]
** 1983, Samuel R[ay] Delany, Tales of Nevèrÿon, Bantam Books, →ISBN, back cover:RAVEN—masked swordmistress from a land where women rule and men obey.
** 1991, Margaret Weis, King’s Sacrifice (Star of the Guardians; volume three)‎, Bantam Spectra, →ISBN:To Nicole Harsh, Maigrey’s swordmistress, who was concerned about milady’s exercise regimen.
** 1996, Mickey Zucker Reichert, Prince of Demons (The Renshai Chronicles; volume two), New York, N.Y.: DAW Books, →ISBN, page 371:Spectators crammed along the ropes, eager to catch glimpses of the king’s new swordmistress or to watch the guardsmen hammer at one another with practice weapons.
** 1996, Elaine Cunningham, Silver Shadows, Lake Geneva, Wis.: TSR, Inc., →ISBN, page 90:When at last she slept, her dreams were haunted by the face of her unknown ancestor and by a chorus of Elvish voices that demanded that the dishonor done to the swordmistress be redressed.
** 2004, S[tephen] M[ichael] Stirling, Dies the Fire, New York, N.Y.: Roc Books, →ISBN, page 444:The Bearkillers’ swordmistress danced. Her targe beat aside a spearhead, and then the backsword flicked out in a blurring thrust.
** 2004, Frances M[ary] Hendry, Victrix, London: Hodder Children’s Books, →ISBN, page 115:‘Exactly wrong, my sweet swordmistress.’
** 2005, Ashok K[umar] Banker, Bridge of Rama (The Ramayana; book five), London: Orbit, →ISBN, page 281:And yet she was a kshatriya princess, a swordmistress of Arya.
** 2005, Michael Cobley, Shadowmasque (The Shadowkings Trilogy; book three), Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, page 242:‘Captain Bureng is my name, fair swordmistress,’ he said.
** 2005, Maggie Furey, The Eye of Eternity (The Shadowleague; book three)‎, London: Orbit, →ISBN:And it is Aurian, child of wizards, swordmistress, who must set out on a quest to reclaim the remaining artefacts of power and destroy the source of Miathan’s power.
** 2006, Jeff Evans, The Penguin TV Companion, 3rd edition, London: Penguin Books, →ISBN, page 469:Standing in their way was a repertory company of actors adopting various magical disguises (some benign, some malevolent) such as Mogdred the necromancer, Morghanna and Sidriss the sorceresses, Folly and Motley the jesters, Gretel the maid, Gundrada the swordmistress, Skarkill the Goblin Master and Lord Fear.
** 2006, Jean Marie Ward, Teri Smith, With Nine You Get Vanyr, Dothan, Ala.: Samhain Publishing, Ltd., →ISBN, page 46:The one with the light saber who looks like a Buffy wannabe is Kait Williams. She’s our swordmistress, ‘Sekhmet’. She’s the warrior with Thea’s pod.
** 2008, Cory Doctorow, Little Brother, New York, N.Y.: Tor, →ISBN, page 422:Wil gave her tons of extra XP for doing it all in character—barbarian swordmistress came easily to her—and her example led us all, so by the time we got to the dragon empress in her cavern at the middle of the dungeon, we were all talking like a fantasy novel.
** 2009, Kaja Foglio, Phil Foglio, Agatha Heterodyne & the Clockwork Princess: A Gaslamp Fantasy with Adventure, Romance & Mad Science (Girl Genius)‎, Seattle, Wash.: Airship Entertainment, →ISBN:Zeetha is the lost princess of a lost city, and a fearsome swordmistress.
** 2013, J. K. Barber (Jay and Katherine Barber), Spellbound, 3rd edition, →ISBN, page 26:“This is no casual raid, which is more reason to fight smartly. Be at the ready,” the veteran said, glancing from the army to Sasha’s paling face. The swordmistress’ face lightened. “We have never lost a battle from these walls. Have faith and may the Great Mother strengthen our arms and fortify our minds.”

#### Coordinate terms

* swordmaster