I. ˈmistrə̇s; preceding a name as a title, pronounced like mrs. noun
( -es )
Etymology: Middle English maistresse, from Middle French, from Old French, feminine of maistre master — more at master
1. obsolete : a woman or something personified or venerated as a woman regarded as a guide or protector
conjuring the moon to stand auspicious mistress — Shakespeare
2. : a woman who has power, authority, or ownership: as
a. : the female head of a family or household
having her here as mistress of this house — as your father's wife — Kathleen Freeman
presided as mistress of the White House during the closing scenes of the administration — T.P.Abernethy
b. : a woman who employs or supervises servants
the … kitchen maid, whose pleasure during the week is in the thought of vying with her mistress on Sunday — Herbert Spencer
c. : a woman who possesses, owns, or controls something
though she was angry, she was still mistress of her temper
mistress of a large fortune
a dog whose mistress devoted hours a day to its care
determined to get a job and become her own mistress
d. : a woman who is in charge of a school or other establishment or group
this guidance is given by a mistress of postulants and the mistress of novices — Mary Augustine
e. : a woman of the Scottish nobility who holds in her own right a status comparable to that of a master ; specifically : the eldest daughter and heiress presumptive of a Scottish peer
3.
a. chiefly Britain : a female teacher or tutor
while classics mistress in an East Anglian college — Irish Digest
when I pointed this out to the drawing mistress she rebuked me and told me that the “feeling” was wonderful — Ralph Vaughan Williams
b. : a woman who is skilled in something or who has achieved mastery in some field
shows herself mistress of almost every conceivable type of fairy lore — Polly Goodwin
mistress of the art of portraiture
mistress of the science of medicine
4. : a country or state regarded as having supremacy or control over others
when Rome was mistress of the world
became undisputed mistress of the continent
5. : something personified as female that rules or directs
Mother and Mistress of all the churches — William Leonard & Bernard Orchard
the sea is a stern mistress and an unyielding disciplinarian — Bill Redgrave
6.
a. : a woman with whom a man habitually fornicates
leaving his wife, an actress, behind, he travels with his mistress — Bernice Matlowsky
b. archaic : a beloved woman : sweetheart
7.
a. archaic : madam 1
b. — used archaically as a conventional title of courtesy before the given name or surname or before both names of an unmarried woman
c. chiefly South & Midland : mrs. 1a
8. dialect chiefly Britain : wife
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-es )
1. : to address as mistress
2. : to achieve mastery of (an art) — used of a woman
3. : to rule or control as a mistress : dominate
•
- mistress it