Definitions for Mistress
ˈmɪs trɪsmis·tress

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:1.0 / 1 vote

1. mistress, kept woman, fancy womannoun

   an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man

2. schoolmarm, schoolma'am, schoolmistress, mistressnoun

   a woman schoolteacher (especially one regarded as strict)

3. mistressnoun

   a woman master who directs the work of others

GCIDERate this definition:2.0 / 2 votes

1. Mistressnoun

   A woman filling the place, but without the rights, of a wife; a woman having an ongoing usually exclusive sexual relationship with a man, who may provide her with financial support in return; a concubine; a loose woman with whom one consorts habitually; as, both his wife and his mistress attended his funeral. Spectator.

WiktionaryRate this definition:3.0 / 1 vote

1. mistressnoun

   a woman, specifically one with control, authority or ownership

   She was the mistress of the mansion, and owned the horses.

2. mistressnoun

   a female teacher

   games mistress

3. mistressnoun

   a female partner in an extramarital relationship, generally including sexual relations.

4. mistressnoun

   a dominatrix

5. Mistressnoun

   Used as the title of a married woman before her name. Now used only in the abbreviated form Mrs.

   She was the mistress of the mansion, and owned the horses.

6. Etymology: From and maistresse (French: maîtresse), feminine of maistre, master

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Mistressnoun

   Etymology: maistresse, maîtresse, French.

   1. A woman who governs: correlative to subject or to servant.

   Here stood he in the dark, his sharp sword out,
   Mumbling of wicked charms, conj’ring the moon
   To stand’s auspicious mistress. William Shakespeare, King Lear.

   Let us prepare
   Some welcome for the mistress of the house. William Shakespeare.

   Like the lily,
   That once was mistress of the field and flourish’d,
   I’ll hang my head and perish. William Shakespeare, Henry VIII.

   He’ll make your Paris louvre shake for it,
   Were it the mistress court of mighty Europe. William Shakespeare.

   I will not charm my tongue; I’m bound to speak;
   My mistress here lies murther’d in her bed. William Shakespeare, Othello.

   The late queen’s gentlewoman! a knight’s daughter!
   To be her mistress’ mistress! the queen’s queen. William Shakespeare.

   Rome now is mistress of the whole world, sea and land, to either pole. Ben Jonson, Catiline.

   Wonder not, sov’reign mistress! if perhaps
   Thou can’st, who art sole wonder; much less arm
   Thy looks, the heav’n of mildness, with disdain. John Milton.

   Those who assert the lunar orb presides
   O’er humid bodies, and the ocean guides;
   Whose waves obsequious ebb, or swelling run
   With the declining or encreasing moon;
   With reason seem her empire to maintain
   As mistress of the rivers and the main. Richard Blackmore.

   What a miserable spectacle, for a nation that had been mistress at sea so long! John Arbuthnot, on Coins.

   2. A woman who possesses faculties uninjured.

   There had she enjoyed herself while she was mistress of herself, and had no other thoughts but such as might arise out of quiet senses. Philip Sidney, b. ii.

   Ages to come, that shall your bounty hear,
   Will think you mistress of the Indies were;
   Though streighter bounds your fortune did confine,
   In your large heart was found a wealthy mine. Edmund Waller.

   3. A woman skilled in any thing.

   A letter desires all young wives to make themselves mistresses of Wingate’s Arithmetick. Joseph Addison, Spect. №. 92.

   4. A woman teacher.

   Erect publick schools, provided with the best and ablest masters and mistresses. Jonathan Swift.

   5. A woman beloved and courted.

   They would not suffer the prince to confer with, or very rarely to see, his mistress, whom they pretended he should forthwith marry. Edward Hyde.

   Nice honour still engages to requite
   False mistresses and proud with slight for slight. George Granville.

   6. A term of contemptuous address.

   Look you, pale mistress,
   Do you perceive the ghastness of her eye? William Shakespeare.

   7. A whore; a concubine.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. Mistressnoun

   a woman having power, authority, or ownership; a woman who exercises authority, is chief, etc.; the female head of a family, a school, etc

2. Mistressnoun

   a woman well skilled in anything, or having the mastery over it

3. Mistressnoun

   a woman regarded with love and devotion; she who has command over one's heart; a beloved object; a sweetheart

4. Mistressnoun

   a woman filling the place, but without the rights, of a wife; a concubine; a loose woman with whom one consorts habitually

5. Mistressnoun

   a title of courtesy formerly prefixed to the name of a woman, married or unmarried, but now superseded by the contracted forms, Mrs., for a married, and Miss, for an unmarried, woman

6. Mistressnoun

   a married woman; a wife

7. Mistressnoun

   the old name of the jack at bowls

8. Mistressverb

   to wait upon a mistress; to be courting

9. Etymology: [OE. maistress, OF. maistresse, F. matresse, LL. magistrissa, for L. magistra, fem. of magister. See Master, Mister, and cf. Miss a young woman.]

FreebaseRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Mistress

   A mistress is a long-term female lover and companion who is not married to her partner; the term is used especially when her partner is married. The relationship generally is stable and at least semi-permanent; however, the couple does not live together openly. Also the relationship is usually, but not always, secret. There is an implication that a mistress may be "kept"—i.e., that the lover is paying for some of the woman's living expenses. The word mistress was originally used as a neutral counterpart to mister or master.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Mistress

   mis′tres, n. (fem. of Master) a woman having power or ownership: the female head of a family, school, &c.: a woman well skilled in anything: a woman loved and courted: a concubine: (fem. of Mister) a form of address once applied to any woman or girl, now given to a married woman (usually written Mrs and pronounced mis′ez): (Shak.) the small ball at bowls, now called the Jack, at which the players aim.—v.t. to play the mistress. [O. Fr. maistresse (Fr. maîtresse).]

The Roycroft DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. mistress

   1. A female who has rights, as distinguished from a married woman, who has duties. 2. One whose respect and love some married men may hold without the non-transferable license in the bottom of a trunk.

Matched Categories

1. • Employer
   • Lover
   • Schoolteacher
   • Woman

British National Corpus

1. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'Mistress' in Nouns Frequency: #2584

How to pronounce Mistress?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say Mistress in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of Mistress in Chaldean Numerology is: 7

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of Mistress in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of Mistress in a Sentence

1. Charles Sumner:

   The senator from South Carolina has read many books of chivalry, and believes himself a chivalrous knight, with sentiments of honor and courage. Of course he has chosen a mistress to whom he has made his vows, i mean the harlot Slavery.

2. Nina Turner:

   For far too long the African-American community has been the mistress of the Democratic Party. I'm gonna put that out there, i'm a proud Democrat. I am loyal, but I am not blindly loyal.

3. Daily Mail reviewer Quentin Letts:

   Figures in black balaclavas assist in the humiliation. With mistress-of-stunts Katie Mitchell directing, we have, from the start, ambient noise, honking klaxons, cage doors clanking, fizzing strip-lights -- no cliche is spared.

4. Paul Dergarabedian:

   But were still struggling to get ahead of last year. Were racing to the finish line here. Weve only got 11 weekends left to go. maleficent: Mistress of Evil.

5. Gero Neugebauer:

   It is now up to Merkel to cut the Gordian knot and give a clear signal internally and externally that Germany cannot take in refugees without limits, and that she is still the mistress of the house.

Popularity rank by frequency of use