English Explanatory Dictionary

mistress

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A woman, specifically one with great control, authority or ownership.
  2. A female head of household.
  3. A female teacher.
  4. The other woman in an extramarital relationship, generally including sexual relations.
  5. A dominatrix.
  6. A woman well skilled in anything, or having the mastery over it.
  7. A woman regarded with love and devotion; a sweetheart.
  8. A married woman; a wife.
  9. A respectful mode of address to a woman.
  10. The jack in the game of bowls.
  11. A female companion to a master (a man with control, authority or ownership).
  12. Female equivalent of master.
verb
  1. Of a woman: to master; to learn or develop to a high degree of proficiency.
  2. To act or take the role of a mistress.
noun
  1. Used as the title of a married woman before her name. Now used only in the abbreviated form Mrs.
  2. Used as the title of a female dominant.

Pronunciation

/ˈmɪs.tɹɪs/ En-us-mistress.ogg /ˈmɪs.ʈrɪs/ /mɪsˈʈrɛs/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Mistress.wav

Word forms

mistress mistresses mistris mistressing mistressed

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *meǵh₂-der.? Proto-Indo-European *meh₂-der.? Proto-Italic *magisteros Latin magister, magistrum Old French maistre Ancient Greek -ῐσσᾰ (-ĭssă)bor. Latin -issader. Old French -esse Old French maistressebor. Middle English maistresse English mistress From Middle English maistresse, from Old French maistresse (whence French maîtresse), feminine of maistre (“master”). By surface analysis, mist(e)r + -ess.

Synonyms

bit on the side concubine doxy dulcinea goomah leman loon minx mistress number two side bitch side chick side piece side ting sprunk strumpet wench wifelet boss head leader schoolmarm fancy woman comaré

Antonyms

wife

Derived words

ballet mistress bandmistress beastmistress blogmistress choirmistress concertmistress cruel mistress dockmistress dungeon mistress fickle mistress game mistress grandmistress guildmistress harbormistress harsh mistress 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 Ms Ms. past mistress paymistress postmistress quartermistress quizmistress ringmistress runemistress schoolmistress scoutmistress shipmistress slavemistress spellmistress spymistress stationmistress subpostmistress swordmistress swordsmistress taskmistress toastmistress wagonmistress wardrobe mistress
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
Back to search All on M Russian dictionary Dahl dictionary