master

[ mas-ter, mah-ster ]

/ ˈmæs tər, ˈmɑ stər /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: master / mastered / mastering / masters on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person with the ability or power to use, control, or dispose of something: a master of six languages; to be master of one's fate.

an owner of enslaved people, in the institution of chattel slavery; a slaveholder: Antebellum laws and codes in the South restricted the circumstances under which masters could free African Americans from slavery.

an owner of a pet or other animal: The dog waited at the end of the lane every evening to greet his master coming home.

Older Use. the male head of a household: As the oldest son, he felt a lot of pressure to act as the master of the house after his father’s passing.

Older Use. an employer of workers or servants: The valet unpacked his master’s luggage prior to his arrival.

(sometimes initial capital letter) the dominant sexual partner in a BDSM relationship of unequal power.

a person eminently skilled in something, as an occupation, art, or science: the great masters of the Impressionist period.

a person whose teachings others accept or follow: a Zen master.

Chiefly British. a male teacher or schoolmaster.

a worker qualified to teach apprentices and to carry on a trade independently.

a title given to a bridge or chess player who has won or placed in a certain number of officially recognized tournaments.

a person holding this title.

Also called mas·ter mar·i·ner [mas-ter mar-uh-ner, mah-ster] /ˈmæs tər ˈmær ə nər, ˈmɑ stər/ . a person who commands a merchant ship; captain.

a victor or conqueror.

a presiding officer.

an officer of the court to whom some or all of the issues in a case may be referred for the purpose of taking testimony and making a report to the court.

the Master. Jesus Christ.

a person who has been awarded a master's degree.

a boy or young man (used chiefly as a term of address).

Also called matrix . an original document, drawing, manuscript, etc., from which copies are made.

Machinery, Computers. a device or process that controls another device or process operating in a similar way.Compare slave (def. 5).

Recording.

matrix (def. 14).
a tape or disk from which duplicates may be made.

Also called cop·y neg·a·tive [kop-ee neg-uh-tiv] /ˈkɒp i ˈnɛg ə tɪv/ .Photography. a film, usually a negative, used primarily for making large quantities of prints.

master of foxhounds.

Archaic. a work of art produced by a master.

adjective

being master; exercising mastery; dominant.

chief or principal: a master list.

directing or controlling: a master switch.

of or relating to a master from which copies are made: master film; master matrix; master record; master tape.

dominating or predominant: a master play.

being a master of some occupation, art, etc.; eminently skilled: a master diplomat; a master pianist.

being a master carrying on one's trade independently, rather than a worker employed by another: a master plumber.

characteristic of a master; showing expert skill, ability, or knowledge: The chosen design was a master achievement that still amazes architects, engineers, and scientists today.

verb (used with object)

to make oneself master of; become an adept in: to master a language.

to conquer or overcome: to master one's pride.

to rule or direct as master: to master a crew.

Recording. to produce a master tape, disk, or record of: The producer recorded, mixed, and mastered the new album.

SYNONYMS FOR master

1 adept, expert.

28 main, leading, primary, prime, cardinal.

33 adept, expert, skillful.

35 subdue, control.

36 govern, manage.

See synonyms for master on Thesaurus.com

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON “THEIR,” “THERE,” AND “THEY’RE”

Are you aware how often people swap around “their,” “there,” and “they’re”? Prove you have more than a fair grasp over these commonly confused words.

Question 1 of 7

Which one of these commonly confused words can act as an adverb or a pronoun?

their

there

they're

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of master

First recorded before 900; Middle English maistre, maister, Old English magister, from Latin; akin to magnus “great”

OTHER WORDS FROM master

mas·ter·less, adjectiveout·mas·ter, verb (used with object)sub·mas·ter, nounun·der·mas·ter, noun

un·mas·tered, adjectivewell-mas·tered, adjective

Words nearby master

mast cell leukemia, mast clamp, mast cloth, mastectomy, -masted, master, master aircrew, master alloy, master-at-arms, master bath, master bedroom

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for master

One of those reports was a landmark 2003 Nature paper by the evolutionary biologist Joachim Kurtz, then at the Max Planck Institute of Limnology in Germany, and his master’s student Karoline Franz.
‘Trained Immunity’ Offers Hope in Fight Against Coronavirus|Esther Landhuis|September 14, 2020|Quanta Magazine
Every early-stage startup founder needs to master a daunting slate of business skills.
Five more reasons you should attend Disrupt 2020|Alexandra Ames|September 11, 2020|TechCrunch
Some password managers, including 1Password, also give you a secret key that you’ll need to use with your master password to sign in on new devices.
How to get started using a password manager|David Nield|September 8, 2020|Popular Science
The post How to become a master of featured snippets appeared first on Search Engine Watch.
How to become a master of featured snippets|Mark Webster|September 3, 2020|Search Engine Watch

Leonard is a master at both identifying specific spots where he’s most comfortable and getting there pretty much whenever he wants.
If Kawhi Turns His Back To The Basket, Watch Out|Michael Pina|September 3, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
And that gets to the heart of what makes the game so incredible: By staying silent, it turns the player into the game master.
Lost For Thousands of Strokes: 'Desert Golfing' Is 'Angry Birds' as Modern Art|Alec Kubas-Meyer|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Dickens was a master of heart-wrenching pathos because he felt every pain as he wrote.
How Dickens and Scrooge Saved Christmas|Clive Irving|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Why was a master photographer recruited to work with one of the most successful liquor brands on the planet?
The Restaurant, Flask, And Photography Worthy of The Macallan Whisky||December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So the master artist traveled to Beijing and shot in a former palace not far from the Forbidden City.
The Restaurant, Flask, And Photography Worthy of The Macallan Whisky||December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Hitchcock saw the work of, and probably met, Murnau, the great German filmmaker--the earliest master of bleak light and shadow.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And with some expressions of mutual good-will and interest, master and man separated.
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, v. 2(of 2)|Charles Dickens
The "bad form" of telling a lie to the head-master is a later illustration of the same thing.
Children's Ways|James Sully
Here and there exceptional industry or extraordinary capacity raised the artisan to wealth and turned the "man" into the "master."
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
Why should not Aristide, past master in drumming, find an honourable position in the orchestra of the Tournée Gulland?
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
The secretary trembled in his every limb; his eyes shunned his master's as his master's had shunned Garnache's awhile ago.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini

British Dictionary definitions for master (1 of 2)

master

/ (ˈmɑːstə) /

noun

the man in authority, such as the head of a household, the employer of servants, or the owner of slaves or animalsRelated adjective: magistral

a person with exceptional skill at a certain thinga master of the violin
(as modifier)a master thief

(often capital) a great artist, esp an anonymous but influential artist

a person who has complete control of a situation
an abstract thing regarded as having power or influencethey regarded fate as the master of their lives

a workman or craftsman fully qualified to practise his trade and to train others in it
(as modifier)master carpenter

an original copy, stencil, tape, etc, from which duplicates are made
(as modifier)master copy

a player of a game, esp chess or bridge, who has won a specified number of tournament games

the principal of some colleges

a highly regarded teacher or leader whose religion or philosophy is accepted by followers

a graduate holding a master's degree

the chief executive officer aboard a merchant ship

a person presiding over a function, organization, or institution

mainly British a male teacher

an officer of the Supreme Court of Judicature subordinate to a judge

the superior person or side in a contest

a machine or device that operates to control a similar one

(often capital) the heir apparent of a Scottish viscount or baron

(modifier) overall or controllingmaster plan

(modifier) designating a device or mechanism that controls othersmaster switch

(modifier) main; principalmaster bedroom

the master Southern African informal the man of the house

verb (tr)

to become thoroughly proficient into master the art of driving

to overcome; defeatto master your emotions

to rule or control as master

Derived forms of master

masterdom, nounmasterhood, nounmasterless, adjectivemastership, noun

Word Origin for master

Old English magister teacher, from Latin; related to Latin magis more, to a greater extent

British Dictionary definitions for master (2 of 2)

Master

/ (ˈmɑːstə) /

noun

a title of address placed before the first name or surname of a boy

a respectful term of address, esp as used by disciples when addressing or referring to a religious teacher

an archaic equivalent of Mr

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with master

master

see past master.

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

master