Definitions for: Mistress


[n] a woman master who directs the work of others
[n] an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man
[n] a woman schoolteacher



Webster (1913) Definition: 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.

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

2. A woman well skilled in anything, or having the mastery
over it.

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

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

4. A woman filling the place, but without the rights, of a
wife; a concubine; a loose woman with whom one consorts
habitually. --Spectator.

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woman, married or unmarried, but now superseded by the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.

Now Mistress Gilpin (careful soul). --Cowper.

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

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

7. The old name of the jack at bowls. --Beau. & Fl.

To be one's own mistress, to be exempt from control by
another person.


Mis"tress, v. i.
To wait upon a mistress; to be courting. [Obs.] --Donne.

Synonyms: fancy woman, kept woman, schoolmarm, schoolmistress

See Also: adult female, Braun, chatelaine, concubine, courtesan, Delilah, doxy, employer, Eva Braun, lover, odalisque, paramour, school teacher, schoolteacher, woman

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