mister

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Informal

n. a way to talk to a man whose name you do not know.

n. a form of address used to a male whose name is unknown to the speaker.

“Excuse me, mister, you dropped your scarf on the sidewalk.”

“The young boy tugged at the stranger's sleeve and asked, 'Excuse me, mister, do you have the time?'”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Technical

n. a machine or bottle that sprays a very light cloud of water drops.

n. a mechanical device or container designed to emit a fine spray of liquid, typically water.

“I use a water mister to keep my tropical plants healthy in the summer.”

“The greenhouse was equipped with an automated mister that activated whenever the humidity levels dropped below the optimal threshold for the orchids.”

C2 · Proficiency Informal

v. to call a man 'mister' instead of using his name.

v. to address a person using the title 'mister'.

“Don't you 'mister' me—we have been friends for twenty years.”

“The witness felt insulted when the lawyer continued to mister him rather than using his professional title of Doctor.”