01 n. A woman having power, authority, or ownership; a woman who exercises authority, is chief, etc.; the female head of a family, a school, etc.
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1.
A woman having power, authority, or ownership; a woman who exercises authority, is chief, etc.; the female head of a family, a school, etc.“The late queen's gentlewoman! a knight's daughter! To be her mistress' mistress!” — Shak.
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2.
A woman well skilled in anything, or having the mastery over it.“A letter desires all young wives to make themselves mistresses of Wingate's Arithmetic.” — Addison.
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3.
A woman regarded with love and devotion; she who has command over one's heart; a beloved object; a sweetheart.[Poetic]
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4.
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.
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5.
A title of courtesy formerly prefixed to the name of a woman, married or unmarried, but now superseded by the contracted forms, Mrs., for a married, and Miss, for an unmarried, woman.“Now Mistress Gilpin (careful soul).” — Cowper.
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6.
A married woman; a wife.[Scot.]“Several of the neighboring mistresses had assembled to witness the event of this memorable evening.” — Sir W. Scott.
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7.
The old name of the jack at bowls.
Phrases & compounds
To be one's own mistress —
to be exempt from control by another person.