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Mistress

//ˈmɪstɹɪs// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A woman, specifically one with great control, authority or ownership.

    "She was the mistress of the estate-mansion, and owned the horses."

  2. 2
    Used as the title of a married woman before her name. Now used only in the abbreviated form Mrs. archaic

    "The sound of Mistress Affery cautiously chaining the door before she opened it, caused them both to look that way."

  3. 3
    a woman master who directs the work of others wordnet
  4. 4
    A female head of household.
  5. 5
    Used as the title of a female dominant.
Show 13 more definitions
  1. 6
    an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man wordnet
  2. 7
    A female teacher.

    "games mistress"

  3. 8
    a woman schoolteacher (especially one regarded as strict) wordnet
  4. 9
    The other woman in an extramarital relationship, generally including sexual relations.
  5. 10
    A dominatrix.

    "As part of BDSM play they can enhance the domineering tread of a mistress or hobble the steps of a slave."

  6. 11
    A woman well skilled in anything, or having the mastery over it.

    "A letter desires all young wives to make themselves mistresses of Wingate's Arithmetic."

  7. 12
    A woman regarded with love and devotion; a sweetheart.

    "he could not forbear putting his horse out of the way , and rode with his mistress behind him round about it"

  8. 13
    A married woman; a wife. Scotland

    "Several of the neighbouring mistresses […] had assembled to witness the event of this memorable evening."

  9. 14
    A respectful mode of address to a woman. archaic
  10. 15
    The jack in the game of bowls. obsolete

    "Faith, keep a bachelor still, and go to bowls, sir, Follow your mistress there, and prick and save, sir; For other mistresses will make you a slave, sir"

  11. 16
    A female companion to a master (a man with control, authority or ownership).
  12. 17
    Female equivalent of master. feminine, form-of
  13. 18
    Female equivalent of mister. feminine, form-of
Verb
  1. 1
    Of a woman: to master; to learn or develop to a high degree of proficiency. rare, transitive

    "These films give a glimpse of women on the way to mistressing their own destiny."

  2. 2
    To act or take the role of a mistress. intransitive

    "[…] housewifery, maternity, charity, the life conventual, the chatter of a court, the mistressing of a great house […]"

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English maistresse, from Old French maistresse (whence French maîtresse), feminine of maistre (“master”). By surface analysis, mist(e)r + -ess.

Etymology 2

From Middle English maistresse, from Old French maistresse (whence French maîtresse), feminine of maistre (“master”). By surface analysis, mist(e)r + -ess.

See also for "mistress"

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