mistress

[ mis-tris ]

/ ˈmɪs trɪs /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR mistress ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a woman who has authority, control, or power, especially the female head of a household, institution, or other establishment.

a woman employing, or in authority over, servants or attendants.

a female owner of an animal, or formerly, a slave.

a woman who has the power of controlling or disposing of something at her own pleasure: mistress of a great fortune.

(sometimes initial capital letter) something regarded as feminine that has control or supremacy: Great Britain, the mistress of the seas.

a woman who is skilled in something, as an occupation or art.

a woman who has a continuing, extramarital sexual relationship with one man, especially a man who, in return for an exclusive and continuing liaison, provides her with financial support.

British. a female schoolteacher; schoolmistress.

(initial capital letter) a term of address in former use and corresponding to Mrs., Miss, or Ms.

Archaic. sweetheart.

Nearby words

mistral, frédéric, mistral, gabriela, mistranslate, mistreat, mistreatment, mistress, mistress of ceremonies, mistress of the robes, mistrial, mistrust, mistrustful

Origin of mistress

1275–1325; Middle English maistresse < Middle French, Old French, equivalent to maistre master + -esse -ess

Related forms

mis·tressed, adjectivemis·tress-ship, noun

Usage note

See -ess.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for mistress

He said, too, that after being accepted as a slave to Mistress Couple, he has made massive strides psychologically.
Dungeons and Genital Clamps: Inside a Legendary BDSM Chateau|Ian Frisch|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And Pope Alexander VI had the painter Pinturicchio disguise his mistress as the Virgin Mary in one fresco.
Great Renaissance Art Thrived Amid Filth|Nick Romeo|December 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She broods on a portrait of her mistress, happy that it cannot say “you are not mine.”
Sor Juana: Mexico’s Most Erotic Poet and Its Most Dangerous Nun|Katie Baker|November 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He had made a mistress of a girl he rescued from some blasted-out village conquered by the Red Army at the end of the war.
Iran’s Top Spy Is the Modern-Day Karla, John Le Carré’s Villainous Mastermind|Michael Weiss|July 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST

As a teenager, I was the mistress of his brother—who ‘gave’ me as a gift to the sultan.
The Best of the Beast, May 5-12|The Daily Beast|May 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As soon as the slave saw him enter, she ran to inform her mistress.
Sketches of the Fair Sex, in All Parts of the World|Anonymous
Armed men, my mistress -- armed men riding towards Basildene!
In the Days of Chivalry|Evelyn Everett-Green
That artful girl soon discovered what had escaped her mistress's observation.
A Terrible Temptation|Charles Reade
"Good-morning, mistress," said he familiarly, approaching Madame Desvarennes.
Serge Panine, Complete|Georges Ohnet
Nor was any mistress ever so beautiful and divine as this one, appointed to possess and be adored by us.
A Pessimist|Robert Timsol

British Dictionary definitions for mistress (1 of 2)

mistress

/ (ˈmɪstrɪs) /

noun

a woman who has a continuing extramarital sexual relationship with a man

a woman in a position of authority, ownership, or control, such as the head of a household

a woman or female personification having control over something specifiedshe was mistress of her own destiny

mainly British short for schoolmistress

an archaic or dialect word for sweetheart

Word Origin for mistress

C14: from Old French; see master, -ess

British Dictionary definitions for mistress (2 of 2)

Mistress

/ (ˈmɪstrɪs) /

noun

an archaic or dialect title equivalent to Mrs

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

mistress

noun

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Nearby words

Origin of mistress

Related forms

Usage note

Examples from the Web for mistress

British Dictionary definitions for mistress (1 of 2)

mistress

noun

Word Origin for mistress

British Dictionary definitions for mistress (2 of 2)

Mistress

noun