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schoolmistress

American  
[skool-mis-tris] / ˈskulˌmɪs trɪs /

noun

  1. a woman who presides over or teaches in a school.


schoolmistress British  
/ ˈskuːlˌmɪstrɪs /

noun

  1. a woman who teaches in or runs a school

"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

Gender

See -ess.

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of schoolmistress

First recorded in 1490–1500; school 1 + mistress

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Thadden, the former schoolmistress, had vouched for a newcomer named Paul Reckzeh who attended the party.

From The Wall Street Journal Nov. 19, 2025

Ms. Mazzie faces a perhaps more formidable challenge in taking on the schoolmistress duties of Mrs. Anna, the Welsh-born tutor to the children of the King of Siam.

From New York Times May 22, 2016

A ruffled oversize 19th-century schoolmistress shirt in check with gray skirt was - daringly - twinned with pink and black tiger print stripper boots and space-age eye makeup.

From Washington Times Mar. 9, 2016

This is provided by Mary Steenburgen’s schoolmistress, a fellow admirer of Jules Verne who likes the old boy’s piercing eyes but thinks he’s telling fibs.

From The Guardian Oct. 21, 2015

Alone, the schoolmistress and Shirley looked at each other.

From "In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson" by Bette Bao Lord

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