A woman who pledges herself or her property as a guarantee that someone will fulfill an obligation or appear in court.
From 'bond' + 'woman' (the feminine form of bondsman). While less common historically, the term reflects women's legal participation in guarantee systems, particularly in Early Modern England.
Though rarely documented compared to bondsmen, bondswomen did exist and had real legal power—they could be held financially responsible for their pledges just like men, which made them genuinely equal participants in these high-stakes agreements despite limited legal rights in other areas.
Feminine form created as legal/social afterthought; women had severely restricted rights as sureties and bondspeople in most jurisdictions until modern era.
Use 'bond agent' or 'surety' as gender-neutral term; use 'bondswoman' only when gender-specific context is relevant and necessary.
["bond agent","surety","bonding professional"]
Women had to fight for legal standing to serve as sureties; recognize their hard-won equal participation in bonding professions.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.