a title of respect prefixed to the surname or full name of a married woman.
Mrs. Jones; Mrs. Susan Jones.
a title prefixed to a mock surname that is used to represent possession of a particular attribute, identity, etc., especially in an idealized or excessive way.
Mrs. Punctuality.
Mrs., first recorded in the early 17th century, was originally, like Miss, an abbreviation of mistress. Mrs. and mistress were at first used interchangeably in all contexts, but by the second half of that century, the written form of the abbreviation was largely confined to use as a title preceding a woman's surname. By the early 19th century, reduction of the medial consonant cluster had contracted the usual pronunciation of the title from to or . The contracted pronunciation used other than as a title was not considered standard, and today, locutions like Let me discuss it with the missis are perceived as old-fashioned. Currently, two main types of pronunciation for the abbreviation occur in the United States; and sometimes are the common forms in the North and North Midland, while in the South Midland and South, the prevalent types are and , the latter homophonous with the usual pronunciation of the abbreviation Ms.
See Ms.
Abbreviation of mistress
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She means to marry him if he does. frances trebell. Has she told you so? mrs. farrant. No.
From Three Plays by Granville-Barker The Marrying of Ann Leete; The Voysey Inheritance; Waste by Granville-Barker, Harley
Then mrs. opie comes out of the dining-room to fetch the cloak.
From Three Plays by Granville-Barker The Marrying of Ann Leete; The Voysey Inheritance; Waste by Granville-Barker, Harley
J. L. P. from wm. madison peyton to mrs. john h. peyton.
Do you think they've met . . ? julia grips both her hands and speaks very steadily to help her friend back to self control. mrs. farrant. George told me as soon as he was told.
From Three Plays by Granville-Barker The Marrying of Ann Leete; The Voysey Inheritance; Waste by Granville-Barker, Harley
Julia, but his political conscience is comparatively new-born. mrs. farrant. Well,
From Three Plays by Granville-Barker The Marrying of Ann Leete; The Voysey Inheritance; Waste by Granville-Barker, Harley
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
