Definition of mistress Mistress

/mɪˈstɹʌs/ - [mistrus] - mis•tress

We found 19 definitions of mistress from 7 different sources.

What does mistress mean?

WordNet

Noun Plural: mistresses
mistress - an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man
		kept woman, fancy woman
		adult female, woman an adult female person (as opposed to a man); "the woman kept house while the man hunted"
		lover a person who loves someone or is loved by someone
		concubine, courtesan, doxy, paramour a woman who cohabits with an important man
mistress - a woman master who directs the work of others
		employer a person or firm that employs workers
mistress - a woman schoolteacher (especially one regarded as strict)
		schoolmarm, schoolma'am, schoolmistress

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Wiktionary

mistress (Noun)
A woman, specifically one with great control, authority or ownership.
mistress (Noun)
A female teacher.
mistress (Noun)
A female partner in an extramarital relationship, generally including sexual relations.
mistress (Noun)
A dominatrix.

Webster DictionaryWebster's Unabridged Dictionary 📘

mistress (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.
mistress (n.)
A woman well skilled in anything, or having the mastery over it.
mistress (n.)
A woman regarded with love and devotion; she who has command over one's heart; a beloved object; a sweetheart.
mistress (n.)
A woman filling the place, but without the rights, of a wife; a concubine; a loose woman with whom one consorts habitually.
mistress (n.)
A title of courtesy formerly prefixed to the name of a woman, married or unmarried, but now superseded by the contracted forms, Mrs., for a married, and Miss, for an unmarried, woman.
mistress (n.)
A married woman; a wife.
mistress (n.)
The old name of the jack at bowls.
mistress (v. i.)
To wait upon a mistress; to be courting.

OmegaWiki DictionaryOmegaWiki Dictionary Ω

mistress
Woman who has a (often secret) relationship with a man who is married or committed to another woman.

Vulgar Tongue DictionaryDictionary of the Vulgar Tongue 👅

mistress
Brush to your froe, or bloss, and wheedle for crop; run to your mistress, and sooth and coax her out of some money. DUTCH.

Wikipedia

lover
A mistress is a man's long term female sexual partner and companion who is not married to him. This term is especially used when the man is married to another woman. The relationship is generally stable; however, the couple do not live together openly. Also, the relationship is usually but not always secret. Rather often the man is paying for some of the woman's living expenses. A mistress has no legal relationship to the man, that makes the difference to the status of a concubine.

The term can also be used to describe the "other" companion in a female same-sex marriage. Likewise, a woman may be married to a man and have a mistress of her own.

Definition.

Historically, the term was used for women who could afford a comfortable lifestyle, because a wealthy man financed that so that she will be available for his sexual pleasure. Such a woman could move between the roles of a mistress and a courtesan. Today however, the word "mistress" is used primarily to refer to the female companion of a man who is married to another woman; in the case of an unmarried man it is usual to speak of a "girlfriend".

The historically best known and most researched mistresses are the royal mistresses of European monarchs, for example Madame de Pompadour.

In the courts of Europe, particularly Versailles and Whitehall in the 17th and 18th centuries, a mistress often had great power and influence. A king might hold numerous mistresses but have a single "favourite mistress" or "official mistress" (in Fr