mistress
mistress Lexical Profile
mistress Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A woman who has a continuing romantic or sexual relationship with a man who is married to someone else.
"The historical biography revealed that the nobleman had left a large portion of his estate to his longtime mistress."
A woman in a position of authority, ownership, or control, such as the female head of a household or the female owner of a pet.
"The loyal terrier waited patiently by the front gate for his mistress to return from work."
British A female schoolteacher, especially one who teaches a specific subject or holds a senior post at a private or traditional school.
"She served as the Classics mistress at the boarding school for over twenty years."
A woman who has achieved complete mastery or exceptional skill in a particular art, craft, or field of knowledge.
"Through decades of dedicated practice, she became an undisputed mistress of botanical illustration."
Word Nuance & Usage
In modern usage, the standalone noun most commonly denotes an extramarital partner, whereas the sense of a female authority figure or expert typically survives in fixed expressions such as 'mistress of one's own fate' or 'mistress of ceremonies'.
• Rhymes for mistress
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English maistresse, borrowed from Old French maistresse, the feminine form of maistre ('master'), which ultimately derives from Latin magister ('chief, director, or teacher').