mistress

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Formal · Literary

n. a woman who is in charge of a place, a household, or a group of people.

n. a woman who has power, authority, or ownership, particularly as the head of a household or institution.

“She was the mistress of a large estate with many servants.”

“As the mistress of the house, she was responsible for managing the domestic staff and overseeing the annual budget.”

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Formal · Literary

n. a woman who is very skilled or talented at a particular activity.

n. a woman who has achieved a high degree of proficiency or mastery in a specific craft, art, or field of study.

“She was a mistress of the violin and played in the national orchestra.”

“The author proved herself a mistress of suspense, keeping readers guessing until the final chapter of the novel.”

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Archaic

n. a title used in the past for a woman, which later became the short form 'Mrs'.

n. an archaic title of address for a woman of social standing, now surviving primarily in the abbreviated form 'Mrs'.

“In the old story, the character is addressed as Mistress Page.”

“The document, dated 1640, refers to the landowner as Mistress Elizabeth Thornton.”