Derivational suffix forming agent nouns from verbs and nouns, especially names for women (later also for men) engaged in an occupation. (a) Inherited from OE (often contrasting with nouns in -ere denoting male agents): e.g. bak-estre, baxter (: bāk-ere); sē̆m-estre seamstress, tailor (: sēm-ere tailor); tapp-estre (: tapp-ere); webb-estre (: webb-e, wēv-er weaver); (b) formed in ME: e.g. hō̆rd-estre (: hō̆rd-ere treasurer); tumb-estre (: tumbl-ere); breuestre, breu-ster (: breu-ere); spinn-estre (: spinnere). Many nouns in -estre, though originally denoting females, came to be used also of males, and some denote only males, as dem-estre, dem(p)ster judge, and bem-estre trumpeter.