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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Mistress \Mis"tress\, n. [OE. maistress, OF. maistresse, F.
ma[^i]tresse, LL. magistrissa, for L. magistra, fem. of
magister. See {Master}, {Mister}, and cf. {Miss} a young
woman.]
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.
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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.
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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] --Clarendon.
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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. --Spectator.
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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woman, married or unmarried, but now superseded by the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.
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Now Mistress Gilpin (careful soul). --Cowper.
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6. A married woman; a wife. [Scot.]
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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. --Beau. & Fl.
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{To be one's own mistress}, to be exempt from control by
another person.
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Mistress \Mis"tress\, v. i.
To wait upon a mistress; to be courting. [Obs.] --Donne.
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