English Online Dictionary. What means mistress? What does mistress mean?
English
Alternative forms
- mistris (obsolete)
Etymology
From Middle English maistresse, from Old French maistresse (whence French maîtresse), feminine of maistre (“master”). By surface analysis, mist(e)r + -ess.
Pronunciation
- enPR: mĭsʹtrĭs, IPA(key): /ˈmɪstɹɪs/
Noun
mistress (plural mistresses)
- A woman, specifically one with great control, authority or ownership.
- Synonyms: (applicable to either sex) boss, (applicable to either sex) head, (applicable to either sex) leader
- male equivalent: master
- A female head of household.
- A female teacher.
- Synonym: schoolmarm
- male equivalent: master
- The other woman in an extramarital relationship, generally including sexual relations.
- Synonyms: (applicable to either sex) bit on the side, fancy woman, comaré, goomah; see also Thesaurus:mistress
- Antonyms: cicisbeo, fancy man
- A dominatrix.
- male equivalent: master
- A woman well skilled in anything, or having the mastery over it.
- A woman regarded with love and devotion; a sweetheart.
- (Scotland) A married woman; a wife.
- (obsolete) The jack in the game of bowls.
- A female companion to a master (a man with control, authority or ownership).
- Female equivalent of master.
- Female equivalent of mister.
Usage notes
In the extramarital sense, mistress is often narrowly taken to mean a woman involved in a committed extramarital relationship (an affair), often supported financially (a kept woman). It can also be taken to mean broadly a woman involved in an extramarital relationship regardless of the level of commitment, but requires more than a single act of adultery.
Derived terms
Descendants
- → Japanese: ミストレス (misutoresu)
Translations
Verb
mistress (third-person singular simple present mistresses, present participle mistressing, simple past and past participle mistressed)
- (transitive, rare) Of a woman: to master; to learn or develop to a high degree of proficiency.
- (intransitive) To act or take the role of a mistress.
See also
- (titles) (of a man): Mr (Mister, mister), Sir (sir); (of a woman): Ms (Miz, mizz), Mrs (Mistress, mistress), Miss (miss), Dame (dame), Madam (madam, ma'am); (of a non-binary person): Mx (Mixter); (see also): Dr (Doctor, doctor) (Category: en:Titles)