n. [ OE. maistress, OF. maistresse, F. maîtresse, 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. [ 1913 Webster ] The late queen's gentlewoman! a knight's daughter!
To be her mistress' mistress! Shak. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. A woman well skilled in anything, or having the mastery over it. [ 1913 Webster ] A letter desires all young wives to make themselves mistresses of Wingate's Arithmetic. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ] 3. A woman regarded with love and devotion; she who has command over one's heart; a beloved object; a sweetheart. [ Poetic ] Clarendon. [ 1913 Webster ] 4. A woman filling the place, but without the rights, of a wife; a woman having an ongoing usually exclusive sexual relationship with a man, who may provide her with financial support in return; a concubine; a loose woman with whom one consorts habitually; as, both his wife and his mistress attended his funeral. Spectator. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ] 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 A title of courtesy formerly prefixed to the name of a woman, married or unmarried, but now superseded by the contracted forms, Mrs., for a married, and Miss, for an unmarried, woman. [ 1913 Webster ] Now Mistress Gilpin (careful soul). Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ] 6. A married woman; a wife. [ Scot. ] [ 1913 Webster ] Several of the neighboring mistresses had assembled to witness the event of this memorable evening. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ] 7. The old name of the jack at bowls. Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]
To be one's own mistress, to be exempt from control by another person. [ 1913 Webster ]
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