Word
missus
Phoneticsmis·sus
US/ˈmɪsɪz/
UK/mˈɪsəs/
Definition
n. a polite or friendly way to address a woman, especially a married one. It is an old-fashioned word that people use to be respectful or to sound like they are from a different time.
n. a polite or respectful form of address for a woman, typically a married one. Highly informal and often carries a connotation of traditional or lower-class social status.
Examples
“The shopkeeper greeted the customer with a nod and a 'Good morning, missus'.”
“In the old photographs, the workers are seen bowing slightly to the missus as she walked through the factory.”
“The author uses the term missus to establish the rural, working-class setting of the novel, grounding the dialogue in a specific historical and social context.”
Examples
simple
“The shopkeeper greeted the customer with a nod and a 'Good morning, missus'.”
contextual
“In the old photographs, the workers are seen bowing slightly to the missus as she walked through the factory.”
complex
“The author uses the term missus to establish the rural, working-class setting of the novel, grounding the dialogue in a specific historical and social context.”
Etymology
Representing a common pronunciation of Mrs, a reduced form of Mistress.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/missus