cateress

From cater +‎ -ess.

cateress (plural cateresses)

1. A woman who caters.
   • 1634 October 9 (first performance), [John Milton], edited by H[enry] Lawes, A Maske Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634: […] [Comus], London: […] [Augustine Matthews] for Hvmphrey Robinson, […], published 1637, →OCLC; reprinted as Comus: […] (Dodd, Mead & Company’s Facsimile Reprints of Rare Books; Literature Series; no. I), New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1903, →OCLC:

     With her abundance; she, good cateress,
     Means her provision only to the good

   • 1913, Frances Jenkins Olcott, The Arabian Nights, page 33:

     After a while the mistress of the house arose, and said to the cateress: " Arise, O my sister, and let us fulfil our debt." The cateress left the saloon, and soon returned leading two black hounds , with chains around their necks.

   • 2015, Joan Williams, Lisa C. Hickman, Remembering: Joan Williams' Uncollected Pieces:

     In the kitchen, partly partitioned by a curtain, the cateress and her helper were busy.

This term has mostly fallen into disuse, but is still a current job title in some places, such as Kenya. Note that a cateress can have additional duties beyond food preparation and serving, such as event planning and management, or sometimes even caregiving.

• cerastes, Cestares