Mistress

Mistress
Mistress Mis"tress, n. [OE. maistress, OF. maistresse, F. ma[^i]tresse, LL. magistrissa, for L. magistra, fem. of magister. See {Master}, {Mister}, and cf. {Miss} a young woman.] 1. A woman having power, authority, or ownership; a woman who exercises authority, is chief, etc.; the female head of a family, a school, etc. [1913 Webster]

The late queen's gentlewoman! a knight's daughter! To be her mistress' mistress! --Shak. [1913 Webster]

2. A woman well skilled in anything, or having the mastery over it. [1913 Webster]

A letter desires all young wives to make themselves mistresses of Wingate's Arithmetic. --Addison. [1913 Webster]

3. A woman regarded with love and devotion; she who has command over one's heart; a beloved object; a sweetheart. [Poetic] --Clarendon. [1913 Webster]

4. A woman filling the place, but without the rights, of a wife; a woman having an ongoing usually exclusive sexual relationship with a man, who may provide her with financial support in return; a concubine; a loose woman with whom one consorts habitually; as, both his wife and his mistress attended his funeral. --Spectator. [1913 Webster +PJC]

5. A title of courtesy formerly prefixed to the name of a woman, married or unmarried, but now superseded by the contracted forms, Mrs., for a married, and Miss, for an unmarried, woman. [1913 Webster]

Now Mistress Gilpin (careful soul). --Cowper. [1913 Webster]

6. A married woman; a wife. [Scot.] [1913 Webster]

Several of the neighboring mistresses had assembled to witness the event of this memorable evening. --Sir W. Scott. [1913 Webster]

7. The old name of the jack at bowls. --Beau. & Fl. [1913 Webster]

{To be one's own mistress}, to be exempt from control by another person. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Mistress — may refer to: Mistress (lover), a woman, other than the spouse, with whom a married individual has a continuing sexual relationship Schoolmistress, or female school teacher (also called a schoolmarm ). The term is now obsolete in the UK; see… …   Wikipedia

  • mistress — ⇒MISTRESS, subst. fém. A. [Dans les pays anglo saxons ou d expression anglaise ou anglo américaine, précédant immédiatement le nom de famille, équivalent du français «Madame» (v. ce mot A 2) sauf pour les épouses des pairs britanniques, v. Lady]… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Mistress — se puede referir a: Mistress, un grupo de música originario de Birmingham, Inglaterra. Mistress, película de 1992, conocida en español como Gente de Sunset Boulevard. Mistress, telefilme de 1987. Esta página de desambiguación cataloga artículos… …   Wikipedia Español

  • mistress — MÍSTRESS s.f. (Prescurtat Mrs. înaintea numelui unei femei căsătorite) Doamnă. [pron. misiz. / < engl. mistress]. Trimis de LauraGellner, 13.06.2005. Sursa: DN  MISTRESS [MÍSIS] s. f. (înaintea numelui unei femei căsătorite) doamnă. (<… …   Dicționar Român

  • Mistress — Mis tress, v. i. To wait upon a mistress; to be courting. [Obs.] Donne. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Mistress — (engl., spr. missis, »Herrin, Gebieterin«), Prädikat verheirateter Frauen, die nicht den Titel Lady (s. d.) führen. Heiratet eine Lady einen titellosen Herrn (Mister), so verbleibt ihr für ihre Person der Titel Lady. In der förmlichen Sprache,… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • mistress — (n.) early 14c., female teacher, governess, from O.Fr. maistresse mistress (lover); housekeeper; governess, female teacher (Mod.Fr. maîtresse), fem. of maistre master (see MASTER (Cf. master) (n.)). Sense of a woman who employs others or has… …   Etymology dictionary

  • mistress — ► NOUN 1) a woman in a position of authority, control, or ownership. 2) a woman skilled in a particular subject or activity. 3) a woman (other than a wife) having a sexual relationship with a married man. 4) chiefly Brit. a female schoolteacher.… …   English terms dictionary

  • mistress — [mis′tris] n. [ME maistresse < OFr, fem. of maistre,MASTER] 1. a woman who rules others or has control, authority, or power over something; specif., a) a woman who is head of a household or institution b) Chiefly Brit. a female schoolteacher 2 …   English World dictionary

  • mistress — [[t]mɪ̱strəs[/t]] mistresses 1) N COUNT: usu with poss A married man s mistress is a woman who is not his wife and with whom he is having a sexual relationship. [OLD FASHIONED] She was his mistress for three years... He has a wife and a mistress …   English dictionary

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