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ACTRESS
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I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
A female actor
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("actress" is a kind of...):
actor; histrion; player; role player; thespian (a theatrical performer)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "actress"):
leading lady (actress who plays the leading female role)
starlet (a young (film) actress who is publicized as a future star)
tragedienne (an actress who specializes in tragic roles)
Instance hyponyms:
Eva Le Gallienne; Le Gallienne (United States actress (born in England) (1899-1991))
Leigh; Vivien Leigh (English film actress (1913-1967))
Beatrice Lillie; Lady Peel; Lillie (British actress (born in Canada) (1898-1989))
Loren; Sofia Scicolone; Sophia Loren (Italian film actress (born in 1934))
Martin; Mary Martin (United States actress (1913-1990))
Anna Amalia Mercouri; Melina Mercouri; Mercouri (Greek film actress (1925-1994))
Marilyn Monroe; Monroe; Norma Jean Baker (United States film actress noted for sex appeal (1926-1962))
Alla Nazimova; Nazimova (United States actress (born in Russia) (1879-1945))
Gladys Smith; Mary Pickford; Pickford (United States film actress (born in Canada) who starred in silent films (1893-1979))
Ginger Rogers; Rogers; Virginia Katherine McMath; Virginia McMath (United States dancer and film actress who partnered with Fred Astaire (1911-1995))
Moira Shearer; Shearer (Scottish ballet dancer and actress (born in 1926))
Sarah Kemble Siddons; Sarah Siddons; Siddons (English actress noted for her performances in Shakespearean roles (1755-1831))
Cornelia Otis Skinner; Skinner (United States actress noted for her one-woman shows (1901-1979))
Meryl Streep; Streep (United States film actress (born in 1949))
Barbra Joan Streisand; Barbra Streisand; Streisand (United States singer and actress (born in 1942))
Gloria May Josephine Svensson; Gloria Swanson; Swanson (United States actress in many silent films (1899-1983))
Jessica Tandy; Tandy (United States actress (born in England) who made many stage appearances, often with her husband Hume Cronyn (1909-1994))
Elizabeth Taylor; Taylor (United States film actress (born in England) who was a childhood star; as an adult she often co-starred with Richard Burton (born in 1932))
Dame Alice Ellen Terry; Dame Ellen Terry; Terry (English actress (1847-1928))
Dame Sybil Thorndike; Thorndike (English actress (1882-1976))
Ethel Waters; Waters (United States actress and singer (1896-1977))
Mae West; West (United States film actress (1892-1980))
Natalie Wood; Wood (United States film actress (1938-1981))
Loretta Young; Young (United States film and television actress (1913-2000))
Ball; Lucille Ball (United States comedienne best known as the star of a popular television program (1911-1989))
Bankhead; Tallulah Bankhead (uninhibited United States actress (1903-1968))
Barrymore; Georgiana Barrymore; Georgiana Emma Barrymore (United States actress; daughter of John Drew and wife of Maurice Barrymore; mother of Ethel Barrymore and John Barrymore and Lionel Barrymore (1854-1893))
Barrymore; Ethel Barrymore (United States actress; daughter of Maurice Barrymore and Georgiana Barrymore (1879-1959))
Bergman; Ingrid Bergman (Swedish film actress (1915-1982))
Bernhardt; Henriette Rosine Bernard; Sarah Bernhardt (French actress (1844-1923))
Black; Shirley Temple; Shirley Temple Black (popular child actress of the 1930's (born in 1928))
Cornell; Katherine Cornell (United States actress noted for her performances in Broadway plays (1893-1974))
Crawford; Joan Crawford (United States film actress (1908-1977))
Bette Davis; Davis (United States film actress (1908-1989))
Dietrich; Maria Magdalene von Losch; Marlene Dietrich (United States film actress (born in Germany) who made many films with Josef von Sternberg and later was a successful cabaret star (1901-1992))
Duse; Eleonora Duse (Italian actress best known for her performances in tragic roles (1858-1924))
Fonda; Jane Fonda (United States film actress and daughter of Henry Fonda (born in 1937))
Fontanne; Lynn Fontanne (United States actress (born in England) who married Alfred Lunt and performed with him in many plays (1887-1983))
Garbo; Greta Garbo; Greta Louisa Gustafsson (United States film actress (born in Sweden) known for her reclusiveness (1905-1990))
Garland; Judy Garland (United States singer and film actress (1922-1969))
Gish; Lillian Gish (United States film actress who appeared in films by D. W. Griffith (1896-1993))
Harlean Carpenter; Harlow; Jean Harlow (United States film actress who made several films with Clark Gable (1911-1937))
Hayes; Helen Hayes (acclaimed actress of stage and screen (1900-1993))
Hepburn; Katharine Hepburn; Katharine Houghton Hepburn (United States film actress who appeared in many films with Spencer Tracy (1907-2003))
Horne; Lena Calhoun Horne; Lena Horne (United States singer and actress (born in 1917))
Glenda Jackson; Jackson (English film actress who later became a member of British Parliament (born in 1936))
Grace Kelly; Grace Patricia Kelly; Kelly; Princess Grace of Monaco (United States film actress who retired when she married into the royal family of Monaco (1928-1982))
Emilie Charlotte le Breton; Jersey Lillie; Langtry; Lillie Langtry (British actress and mistress of the prince who later became Edward VII (1853-1929))
Gertrude Lawrence; Lawrence (English actress (1898-1952))
Context examples:
Why, ’twas but the other day that the Duke of Clarence, who may come to call himself King of England, married Mrs. Jordan, who is herself only a play-actress.
(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
Everything was now in a regular train: theatre, actors, actresses, and dresses, were all getting forward; but though no other great impediments arose, Fanny found, before many days were past, that it was not all uninterrupted enjoyment to the party themselves, and that she had not to witness the continuance of such unanimity and delight as had been almost too much for her at first.
(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)
And the very name of play-actress had filled us both with a kind of vague horror, like the country-bred folk that we were.
(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
A very pretty conspiracy this, he cried, with a criminal, an actress, and a prize-fighter all playing their parts.
(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
For answer the man stretched out his long withered arm, and placed a gaunt hand upon the shoulder of the actress, whilst she looked up at him with love in her eyes.
(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
She whom I had known as the play actress of Anstey Cross became the dowager Lady Avon; whilst Boy Jim, as dear to me now as when we harried birds’ nests and tickled trout together, is now Lord Avon, beloved by his tenantry, the finest sportsman and the most popular man from the north of the Weald to the Channel.
(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
To make it complete, who should drive past just as we cleared the village but Miss Hinton, the play-actress, the pony and phaeton the same as when first I saw her, but she herself another woman; and I thought to myself that if Boy Jim had done nothing but that one thing, he need not think that his youth had been wasted in the country.
(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
And play-actresses also, Roddy.
(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
One of the men was talking with curious intensity to a young actress, and his wife after attempting to laugh at the situation in a dignified and indifferent way broke down entirely and resorted to flank attacks—at intervals she appeared suddenly at his side like an angry diamond, and hissed You promised! into his ear.
(The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald)
