# master
## English
### Pronunciation

* (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /ˈmɑːs.tə/
* (Northern England) IPA: /ˈmas.tə/, (influenced by RP) /ˈmɑːs.tə/
* (Scotland, Ireland) IPA: /ˈmas.təɹ/
* (General American) enPR: măsʹtər, IPA: /ˈmæs.tɚ/
* (Southern US, African-American Vernacular, obsolete) IPA: /ˈmɑs.tə/ (see marster)
* (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA: /ˈmaːs.tə/
* Audio (US):(file)
* Rhymes: -ɑːstə(ɹ), -æstə(ɹ)
* Hyphenation: mas‧ter

### Etymology 1

From Middle English maister, mayster, meister (noun) and maistren (verb), from Old English mǣster, mæġster, mæġester, mæġister, magister (“master”), from Latin magister (“chief, teacher, leader”), from Old Latin magester, from Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂s, (as in magnus (“great”)) + -ester/-ister (compare minister (“servant”)). Reinforced by Old French maistre, mestre (noun) and maistriier, maister (verb) from the same Latin source. Compare also Saterland Frisian Mäster (“master”), West Frisian master (“master”), Dutch meester (“master”), German Meister (“master”). Doublet of maestro, magister, and meister.

#### Alternative forms

* maistre (archaic)
* Marse, marse (obsolete, dialectal, US, Caribbean)
* mas'r (dated, pronunciation spelling, representing southern US black English)
* Master
* mastre, maister, mayster (obsolete)
* Massa, massa, massah, massy, masta, Mastah, mastah, mastuh (pronunciation spellings)
* measter (obsolete, UK, pronunciation spelling)
* mester, mister (dialectal)

#### Noun

master (plural masters)
* Someone who has control over something or someone.
** 1881, Benjamin Jowett, Thucydides:We are masters of the sea.
** 1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […].”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 83, lines 415–420:Maſters commands come with a power reſiſtleſs / To ſuch as owe them abſolute ſubjection; / And for a life who will not change his purpoſe? / (So mutable are all the ways of men) / Yet this be ſure, in nothing to comply / Scandalous or forbidden in our Law.
** 1712 November 24 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison; Richard Steele et al.], “THURSDAY, November 13, 1712”, in The Spectator, number 535; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume VI, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC, page 97:When I have thus made myself master of a hundred thousand drachmas […] .The spelling has been modernized.
** 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter IV, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC, pages 58–59:The Celebrity, by arts unknown, induced Mrs. Judge Short and two other ladies to call at Mohair on a certain afternoon when Mr. Cooke was trying a trotter on the track. […] Their example was followed by others at a time when the master of Mohair was superintending in person the docking of some two-year-olds, and equally invisible.
* The owner of an animal or slave.
* (nautical) The captain of a merchant ship; a master mariner.
    Synonyms: skipper, captain
* (dated) A male head of a household.
* Someone who employs others.
** 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter IV, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC, page 46:No matter how early I came down, I would find him on the veranda, smoking cigarettes, or otherwise his man would be there with a message to say that his master would shortly join me if I would kindly wait.
* An expert at something.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:skilled person
    Mark Twain was a master of fiction.
** 1843 July, [Thomas Babington Macaulay], “Art. VII—The Life of Joseph Addison. By Lucy Aikin.”, in The Edinburgh Review, number CLVII, page 231:But that which chiefly distinguishes Addison from Swift, from Voltaire, from almost all the other great masters of ridicule, is the grace, the nobleness, the moral purity, which we find even in his merriment.
** 1693, [John Locke], “§189”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], →OCLC:No care is taken to improve young men in their own language, that they may thoroughly understand and be masters of it.
** 1977, George Lucas, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope:Darth Vader: I've been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. We meet again, at last. The circle is now complete. When I left you I was but the learner; now I am the master. Obi-Wan Kenobi: Only a master of evil, Darth.
** 2001, “People with Cancer”, in Falun Gong Stories: A Journey to Ultimate Health‎, Golden Lotus Press, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 62:A turning point came earlier this year. In January 2000, the local Qigong master who treated me asked me to find Falun Gong material on the Internet for him.
** For more quotations using this term, see Citations:master.
* A tradesman who is qualified to teach apprentices.
* (dated) A male schoolteacher.
* A skilled artist.
* (dated) A man or a boy; mister. See Master.
** 1731 (date written; published 1745), [Jonathan] Swift, Directions to Servants […], London: […] R[obert] Dodsley, […], and M. Cooper, […], →OCLC:Where there are little Maſters and Miſſes in a Houſe, they are uſually great Impediments to the Diverſions of the Servants;
* A master's degree; a type of postgraduate degree, usually undertaken after a bachelor degree.
    Synonyms: masters, master's, (Quebec) magistrate
    She has a master in psychology.
* A person holding such a degree.
    He is a master of marine biology.
* The original of a document or of a recording.
    The band couldn't find the master, so they re-recorded their tracks.
* (film) The primary wide shot of a scene, into which the closeups will be edited later.
    Synonyms: establishing shot, long shot
* (law) A parajudicial officer (such as a referee, an auditor, an examiner, or an assessor) specially appointed to help a court with its proceedings.
    The case was tried by a master, who concluded that the plaintiffs were the equitable owners of the property. […]
* (engineering, computing) A device that is controlling other devices or is an authoritative source.
    Synonyms: coordinator, primary
    Antonyms: secondary, slave, worker
    a master wheel
    a master database
* (Freemasonry) A person holding an office of authority, especially the presiding officer.
* (by extension) A person holding a similar office in other civic societies.
* Short for master key.
** 2020, Jane M. Wiggins, Facilities Manager's Desk Reference, page 517:The use of masters and submasters will enable suites of rooms to be controlled by one key.
* (BDSM) A male dominant.
    Coordinate term: mistress

##### Hyponyms

* mistress (feminine-specific form)

##### Derived terms

English terms starting with “master”
* ballet master
* barge master
* barmaster
* beemaster
* bergmaster
* boarding-master
* boroughmaster
* brewmaster
* burghomaster, burgomaster
* bushmaster
* cashmaster
* charge description master
* chargemaster, charge-master, charge master
* charter master
* chess master, chessmaster
* cockmaster
* Comacine master
* concertmaster
* craftsmaster
* cube master
* dancing master's kit
* ditto master
* dockmaster
* dogs have masters, cats have staff
* dragonmaster
* drill master, drillmaster
* dungeon master
* fire is a good servant but a bad master
* game master
* games master, games-master
* garret-master
* gold master, golden master
* Grand Master
* grandmaster, grand master
* harbor master, harbour master, harbor-master, harbormaster
* headmaster
* house master, housemaster
* ironmaster
* jack of all trades, master of none
* job master
* jumpmaster
* loadmaster
* lockmaster
* lord and master
* master-at-arms
* master baiter
* master bedroom
* master boot record
* master bricklayer
* master builder
* master butter knife
* master card
* master cast
* master caution
* master class
* master clock
* master copy
* master craftsman, master-craftsman
* master cylinder
* masterdom
* masterfast
* master file
* masterful
* master gland
* masterhood
* master key
* masterless
* masterly
* master mariner
* master mason
* mastermind
* master of all one surveys
* Master of Arts
* master of ceremonies
* master of ceremony
* master of one's time
* Master of Science
* master of the horse
* master of the mint
* Master of the Mint
* master of the obvious
* master of the schools
* masterous
* masterpiece
* master plan, master-plan, masterplan
* master race
* Masters
* master sergeant
* mastership
* master signifier, master-signifier
* mastersinger
* master-slave manipulator
* master status
* master's thesis
* masterstroke
* master tradesman
* master trust
* master warning
* masterwork
* mastery
* metal master
* mint-master
* no one is born a master
* old master
* one's own master
* past master, passed master
* paymaster
* postmaster
* posture-master
* property master, prop master, props master
* puppet master, puppet-master, puppetmaster
* quartermaster
* question-master
* quizmaster
* rattlesnake master
* ringmaster
* roaming master
* sailing-master
* saymaster
* schoolmaster
* scoutmaster
* serve two masters
* shedmaster
* sheepmaster
* shipmaster
* shipping master
* special master
* spirit master
* spymaster
* stationmaster
* taskmaster
* taxing master
* thigh master
* toastmaster
* trackmaster
* trainmaster
* undermaster
* use the master's tools to dismantle the master's house
* vendue master
* watermaster
* webmaster
* weighmaster
* whoremaster
* workmaster
* wreck master, wreck-master, wreckmaster
* writing master
* yardmaster
* zombie master

##### Related terms

* mistress (feminine form of "master")

##### Descendants

* Sranan Tongo: masra
* → Catalan: màster
* → Finnish: master
* → French: master
* → German: Master
* → Polish: master
* → Portuguese: máster
* → Spanish: máster
* → Turkish: master

##### Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

##### See also

* journeyman
* apprentice

#### Adjective

master (not comparable)
* Masterful.
    a master performance
* Main, principal or predominant.
* Highly skilled.
    master batsman
** 1895, Marshall Mather, Lancashire Idylls, page 39:In another minute she lay peaceful and motionless under the anæsthetic — a statue, immobile, yet expressionful, as though carved by some master hand.
* Original.
    master copy

##### Derived terms

* master chief petty officer
* master eye
* master gunnery sergeant
* master joint
* master reset
* master seaman
* master shot
* master spirit
* master stock
* masterstroke
* master vibrator

##### Translations
#### Verb

master (third-person singular simple present masters, present participle mastering, simple past and past participle mastered)
* (intransitive) To be a master.
* (transitive) To become the master of; to subject to one's will, control, or authority; to conquer; to overpower; to subdue.
** 1693, [John Locke], “(please specify the section number)”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], →OCLC:Obstinacy and willful neglects must be mastered, even though it cost blows.
** [1898], J[ohn] Meade Falkner, Moonfleet, London; Toronto, Ont.: Jonathan Cape, published 1934, →OCLC:Then Elzevir cried out angrily, 'Silence. Are you mad, or has the liquor mastered you? Are you Revenue-men that you dare shout and roister? or contrabandiers with the lugger in the offing, and your life in your hand. You make noise enough to wake folk in Moonfleet from their beds.'
* (transitive) To learn to a high degree of proficiency.
    It took her years to master the art of needlecraft.
* (transitive, obsolete) To own; to possess.
** c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i], page 183, column 2:[…] the wealth / That the world maſters.
* (transitive, especially of a musical performance) To make a master copy of.
* (intransitive, usually with in) To earn a Master's degree.
    He mastered in English at the state college.

##### Derived terms

* bemaster
* masterable
* overmaster
* overmasteringly
* remaster

##### Translations
### Etymology 2

From mast +‎ -er.

#### Noun

master (plural masters)
* (nautical, in combination) A vessel having a specified number of masts.
    a two-master

##### Derived terms

* four-master

##### Translations
### Anagrams

* Stamer, ramset, metras, matres, mastre, maters, armets, armest, termas, tamers, trémas, remast, Tamers, Stream, ramets, 'maters, stream, METARs, tremas, Amster

## Finnish
### Etymology

From English master.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈmɑster/, [ˈmɑ̝s̠te̞r]
* Rhymes: -ɑster
* Hyphenation: mas‧ter

### Noun

master
* (BDSM) (male) dom

#### Declension

Possessive forms of master (Kotus type 6/paperi, no gradation) :
first-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
masterini
masterini
accusative
nom.
masterini
masterini
gen.
masterini
genitive
masterini
masterieni mastereideni mastereitteni
partitive
masteriani
mastereitani masterejani
inessive
masterissani
mastereissani
elative
masteristani
mastereistani
illative
masteriini
mastereihini
adessive
masterillani
mastereillani
ablative
masteriltani
mastereiltani
allative
masterilleni
mastereilleni
essive
masterinani
mastereinani
translative
masterikseni
mastereikseni
abessive
masterittani
mastereittani
instructive
comitative
—mastereineni
second-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
masterisi
masterisi
accusative
nom.
masterisi
masterisi
gen.
masterisi
genitive
masterisi
masteriesi mastereidesi mastereittesi
partitive
masteriasi
mastereitasi masterejasi
inessive
masterissasi
mastereissasi
elative
masteristasi
mastereistasi
illative
masteriisi
mastereihisi
adessive
masterillasi
mastereillasi
ablative
masteriltasi
mastereiltasi
allative
masterillesi
mastereillesi
essive
masterinasi
mastereinasi
translative
masteriksesi
mastereiksesi
abessive
masterittasi
mastereittasi
instructive
comitative
—mastereinesi
first-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
masterimme
masterimme
accusative
nom.
masterimme
masterimme
gen.
masterimme
genitive
masterimme
masteriemme mastereidemme mastereittemme
partitive
masteriamme
mastereitamme masterejamme
inessive
masterissamme
mastereissamme
elative
masteristamme
mastereistamme
illative
masteriimme
mastereihimme
adessive
masterillamme
mastereillamme
ablative
masteriltamme
mastereiltamme
allative
masterillemme
mastereillemme
essive
masterinamme
mastereinamme
translative
masteriksemme
mastereiksemme
abessive
masterittamme
mastereittamme
instructive
comitative
—mastereinemme
second-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
masterinne
masterinne
accusative
nom.
masterinne
masterinne
gen.
masterinne
genitive
masterinne
masterienne mastereidenne mastereittenne
partitive
masterianne
mastereitanne masterejanne
inessive
masterissanne
mastereissanne
elative
masteristanne
mastereistanne
illative
masteriinne
mastereihinne
adessive
masterillanne
mastereillanne
ablative
masteriltanne
mastereiltanne
allative
masterillenne
mastereillenne
essive
masterinanne
mastereinanne
translative
masteriksenne
mastereiksenne
abessive
masterittanne
mastereittanne
instructive
comitative
—mastereinenne
third-person possessor
singular
plural
nominative
masterinsa
masterinsa
accusative
nom.
masterinsa
masterinsa
gen.
masterinsa
genitive
masterinsa
masteriensa mastereidensa mastereittensa
partitive
masteriaan masteriansa
mastereitaan masterejaan mastereitansa masterejansa
inessive
masterissaan masterissansa
mastereissaan mastereissansa
elative
masteristaan masteristansa
mastereistaan mastereistansa
illative
masteriinsa
mastereihinsa
adessive
masterillaan masterillansa
mastereillaan mastereillansa
ablative
masteriltaan masteriltansa
mastereiltaan mastereiltansa
allative
masterilleen masterillensa
mastereilleen mastereillensa
essive
masterinaan masterinansa
mastereinaan mastereinansa
translative
masterikseen masteriksensa
mastereikseen mastereiksensa
abessive
masterittaan masterittansa
mastereittaan mastereittansa
instructive
comitative
—mastereineen mastereinensa :

## French
### Etymology

Borrowed from English master. Doublet of maestro, borrowed from Italian, magister, borrowed from Latin, and maître, inherited from Latin.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /mas.tɛʁ/, /mas.tœʁ/
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

master m (plural masters)
* master's degree, master's (postgraduate degree)
* master (golf tournament)
* master, master copy

### Further reading

* “master”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

### Anagrams

* trames, trémas

## Indonesian
### Etymology

From Dutch master. Doublet of maestro, magister, and mester.

### Pronunciation

* (Standard Indonesian) IPA: /ˈmastər/ [ˈmas.t̪ər]
* Rhymes: -astər
* Syllabification: mas‧ter

### Noun

mastêr (plural master-master or para master)
* master (someone who has control over something or someone)
    Synonym: tuan
* master (an expert at something)
    Synonym: ahli
* master (the original of a document or of a recording)
* (education) master (a type of postgraduate degree, usually undertaken after a bachelor degree)
    Synonyms: magister, sarjana utama

### Verb

mastêr (active memaster, passive dimaster)
* to master (to learn to a high degree)
* to master (to make a master copy of)

#### Affixed terms

* masteran (“the result of mastering”)
* masterkan (“to master”)
* pemaster (“masterer”)
* pemasteran (“mastering”)

#### Compounds

* master internasional (“International Master”)

### Further reading

* “master” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

## Norwegian Bokmål
### Noun

master m or f
* indefinite plural of mast

## Norwegian Nynorsk
### Etymology 1

From English master. Doublet of magister.

#### Noun

master m (definite singular masteren, indefinite plural masterar, definite plural masterane)
* a master's degree
* a master's thesis
* a person that has a master's degree
* original document or recording

### Etymology 2
#### Noun

master f (definite singular mastra or mastri, indefinite plural mastrer, definite plural mastrene)
* (pre-2012) alternative form of mast

### Etymology 3
#### Noun

master f
* indefinite plural of mast

### References

* “master” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

## Old Frisian
### Alternative forms

* mēster
* māstere, mēstere

### Etymology

Borrowed from Vulgar Latin *maester, from Latin magister. Cognates include Old English mæġester and Old Saxon mēstar.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈmaːster/

### Noun

māster m
* master
* leader
* commissioner

#### Derived terms

* Māster

#### Descendants

* Saterland Frisian: Mäster
* West Frisian: master

#### References

* Bremmer, Rolf H. (2009) An Introduction to Old Frisian: History, Grammar, Reader, Glossary, Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, →ISBN, page 28

## Romanian
### Etymology

Borrowed from English master. Doublet of măiestru, maestru, maistru, magistru, and meșter.

### Noun

master m (plural mastere)
* master's degree

#### Declension
## Swedish
### Noun

master
* indefinite plural of mast

### Anagrams

* smarte, smetar

## Turkish
### Alternative forms

* mastır

### Etymology

Borrowed from English master, from Old English mæġester, from Latin magister, from Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂s. Doublet of maestro.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈmas.tɯɾ/
* Hyphenation: mas‧ter

### Noun

master (definite accusative masterı, plural masterlar)
* master's degree
    Synonym: yüksek lisans

### Further reading

* “master”, in Turkish dictionaries, Türk Dil Kurumu
* Nişanyan, Sevan (2002–) “master”, in Nişanyan Sözlük
* Ayverdi, İlhan (2010) “master”, in Misalli Büyük Türkçe Sözlük, a reviewed and expanded single-volume edition, Istanbul: Kubbealtı Neşriyatı

## West Frisian
### Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

### Noun

master c (plural masters, diminutive masterke)
* master

#### Derived terms

* boargemaster

#### Further reading

* “master”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011