mistress
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: enpr: mĭsʹtrĭs
ipa: /ˈmɪstɹɪs/
enpr: mĭs-trĕs
note: Indic
ipa: /mɪs.ʈrɛs/
Forms: form: mistresses
form: mistris
Etymology: From Middle English maistresse, from Old French maistresse (whence French maîtresse), feminine of maistre (“master”). By surface analysis, mist(e)r + -ess.
Senses: examples: text: male equivalent: master
text: At the far end of the houses the head gardener stood waiting for his mistress, and he gave her strips of bass to tie up her nosegay. This she did slowly and laboriously, with knuckly old fingers that shook.
ref: 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XIX, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
text: She was the mistress of the estate-mansion, and owned the horses.
synonyms: word: boss
english: applicable to either sex
translation: applicable to either sex
word: head
english: applicable to either sex
translation: applicable to either sex
word: leader
english: applicable to either sex
translation: applicable to either sex
glosses: A woman, specifically one with great control, authority or ownership.
glosses: A female head of household.
examples: text: male equivalent: master
text: games mistress
synonyms: schoolmarm
glosses: A female teacher.
synonyms: word: bit on the side
english: applicable to either sex
translation: applicable to either sex
word: fancy woman
word: comaré
word: goomah
antonyms: cicisbeo
fancy man
glosses: The other woman in an extramarital relationship, generally including sexual relations.
examples: text: male equivalent: master
text: As part of BDSM play they can enhance the domineering tread of a mistress or hobble the steps of a slave.
ref: 2006, Amelia May Kingston, The Triumph of Hope, page 376:
glosses: A dominatrix.
examples: text: A letter desires all young wives to make themselves mistresses of Wingate's Arithmetic.
ref: 1711 June 26 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison; Richard Steele et al.], “FRIDAY, June 15, 1711”, in The Spectator, number 92; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume I, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC:
glosses: A woman well skilled in anything, or having the mastery over it.
examples: text: he could not forbear putting his horse out of the way , and rode with his mistress behind him round about it
ref: (Can we date this quote?), Edward [Hyde, 1st] Earl of Clarendon, (please specify |book=I to XVI), in The History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England, Begun in the Year 1641, Oxford: The Theater:
glosses: A woman regarded with love and devotion; a sweetheart.
examples: text: Several of the neighbouring mistresses […] had assembled to witness the event of this memorable evening.
ref: 1815 February 24, [Walter Scott], Guy Mannering; or, The Astrologer. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; and Archibald Constable and Co., […], →OCLC:
glosses: A married woman; a wife.
glosses: A respectful mode of address to a woman.
examples: text: 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
ref: c. 1613, Thomas Middleton, William Rowley, “Wit at Several Weapons. A Comedy.”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
text: She took a bowl, drew up her skirt with her left hand, and rolled the weighted ball with a deft motion. It lightly kissed the mistress and stopped a few inches away.
ref: 2001, Paul Hemenway Altrocchi, Most Greatly Lived:
glosses: The jack in the game of bowls.
glosses: A female companion to a master (a man with control, authority or ownership).
glosses: Female equivalent of master.
glosses: Female equivalent of mister.
Synonyms: word: bit on the side
word: concubine
word: doxy
word: dulcinea
word: goomah
word: leman
word: loon
word: minx
word: mistress
word: number two
word: side bitch
word: side chick
word: side piece
word: side ting
word: sprunk
word: strumpet
word: wench
word: wifelet
Hypernyms: word: lover
word: sexual partner
Hyponyms: word: courtesan
word: grass widow
word: kept woman
Derived terms: ballet mistress
bandmistress
beastmistress
blogmistress
choirmistress
concertmistress
cruel mistress
dockmistress
grandmistress
guildmistress
harbormistress
headmistress
herbmistress
housemistress
Jill of all trades, mistress of none
jobmistress
loremistress
manstress
misteress
mistressdom
mistresshood
mistressless
mistressly
mistressmind
mistress of ceremonies
mistress of the robes
mistresspiece
Mistress Santa Claus
mistressship
mistressy
Mrs
Mrs.
Miss
miss
Ms
Ms.
past mistress
paymistress
postmistress
quartermistress
quizmistress
ringmistress
runemistress
schoolmistress
scoutmistress
shipmistress
slavemistress
spellmistress
spymistress
stationmistress
subpostmistress
surmistress
swordmistress
swordsmistress
taskmistress
toastmistress
wagonmistress
wardrobe mistress
webmistress
whoremistress
workmistress