executrix

Meanings

1. A female person who executes or carries out something.
2. A female person appointed to execute the wishes of a deceased person as stated in their will; a female executor.

Etymology

From Late Middle English executrice, executrix (“female executor; administrator of the law; wielder of fate”), from Medieval Latin execūtrīx (possibly through Anglo-Norman *executrice) from execūtor, exsecūtor (“accomplisher, performer; prosecutor, revenger”), + Latin -trīx (suffix forming feminine agent nouns). Exsecūtor is derived from Latin exsequor (“to follow after thoroughly, pursue persistently; (figurative) to execute, perform; to pursue with vengeance, avenge”) (from ex- (intensifying prefix) + sequor (“to follow, pursue”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ- (“to follow”))) + -tor (suffix forming masculine agent nouns). By surface analysis, execute + -trix (suffix forming feminine agent nouns).