Croupieress

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A female dealer who manages bets and handles cards or chips at a gambling table in a casino
2. A woman responsible for facilitating games of chance by distributing cards and collecting wagers in a gaming establishment
3. A female casino attendant who oversees gambling activities by dealing cards and managing player stakes at the gaming table

Etymology: The base word traces back to the French "croupe," meaning the rump or hindquarters of a horse. A "croupier" was originally someone who sat or stood behind another person, a sense that carried over into gaming. Early gambling assistants stood behind the banker at a table, and the name stuck to them. The French word's deeper origin is uncertain, though it may come from a Germanic source. The "-ess" ending is the English feminine suffix, borrowed from French "-esse," which in turn comes from Latin "-issa" and Greek "-issa." It is attached here to "croupier" to mark a female dealer. Because "croupier" was itself borrowed from French, the feminine form follows the French pattern, where the corresponding French term is "croupière."

Synonyms: female croupier, female dealer