I. ˈmas-tər noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English magister & Anglo-French meistre, both from Latin magister; akin to Latin magnus large — more at much
Date: before 12th century
1.
a.
(1) : a male teacher
(2) : a person holding an academic degree higher than a bachelor's but lower than a doctor's
b. often capitalized : a revered religious leader
c. : a worker or artisan qualified to teach apprentices
d.
(1) : an artist, performer, or player of consummate skill
(2) : a great figure of the past (as in science or art) whose work serves as a model or ideal
2.
a. : one having authority over another : ruler , governor
b. : one that conquers or masters : victor , superior
in the new challenger the champion found his master
c. : a person licensed to command a merchant ship
d.
(1) : one having control
(2) : an owner especially of a slave or animal
e. : the employer especially of a servant
f.
(1) dialect : husband
(2) : the male head of a household
3.
a.
(1) archaic : Mr.
(2) : a youth or boy too young to be called mister — used as a title
b. : the eldest son of a Scottish viscount or baron
4.
a. : a presiding officer in an institution or society (as a college)
b. : any of several officers of court appointed to assist (as by hearing and reporting) a judge
5.
a. : a master mechanism or device
b. : an original from which copies can be made ; especially : a master recording (as a magnetic tape)
• mas·ter·ship -ˌship noun
II. adjective
Date: 12th century
: being or relating to a master: as
a. : having chief authority : dominant
b. : skilled , proficient
a prosperous master builder — Current Biography
c. : principal , predominant
d. : superlative — often used in combination
a master -liar
e. : being a device or mechanism that controls the operation of another mechanism or that establishes a standard (as a dimension or weight)
f. : being or relating to a master from which duplicates are made
III. transitive verb
( mas·tered ; mas·ter·ing -t(ə-)riŋ)
Date: 13th century
1. : to become master of : overcome
master ed his fears
2.
a. : to become skilled or proficient in the use of
master a foreign language
b. : to gain a thorough understanding of
had master ed every aspect of publishing — Current Biography
3. : to produce a master recording of (as a musical rendition)