See Also: Mistress(medicine)
mistress(1)(dictionary)
mistress(2)(dictionary)
mistress(dictionary)
mistress-ship(dictionary)
past mistress(dictionary)

mistress (oh)



[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: maistresse, from maistre; MASTER1]
a woman that a man has a sexual relationship with, even though he is married to someone else
::The Prince had shocked society by living openly with his mistress.
BrE old-fashioned a female teacher
-see also master master
::the new English mistress
the female owner of a dog, horse etc
-see also master master
old-fashioned the female employer of a servant
-see also master master
::The maid looked nervously at her mistress.
be (a/the) mistress of sth
if a woman is a mistress of something, she is in control of it, highly skilled at it etc
-see also master master
::She appeared to be very much the mistress of the situation.
Mistress
old use used with a woman's family name as a polite way of speaking to her
-see also master master