Dictionary / master
master
- noun
- adjective
- verb
- from Latin
Someone who has control over something or someone.
1 All current definitions
Every sense of “master” in current use, as recorded by Wiktionary. Older and obsolete senses are kept separately.
noun · etymology 1
- Someone who has control over something or someone.
We are masters of the sea.1881, Benjamin Jowett, Thucydides:
- The owner of an animal or slave.
- The captain of a merchant ship; a master mariner.
Master at two-and-twenty, and married at twenty-three—1896, Rudyard Kipling, The Mary Gloster:
- Someone who employs others.
No matter how early I came down, I would find him on the veranda, smoking cigarettes, or otherwise his man would be there with a message to say that his master would shortly join me if I would kindly wait.1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter IV, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC, page 46:
- An expert at something.
Mark Twain was a master of fiction.
- A tradesman who is qualified to teach apprentices.
- A skilled artist.
- A master's degree; a type of postgraduate degree, usually undertaken after a bachelor degree.
She has a master in psychology.
- A person holding such a degree.
He is a master of marine biology.
- The original of a document or of a recording.
The band couldn't find the master, so they re-recorded their tracks.
- broadlyThe copyright in a sound recording.
Many modern recording artists value owning their masters.
- The primary wide shot of a scene, into which the closeups will be edited later.
- A parajudicial officer (such as a referee, an auditor, an examiner, or an assessor) specially appointed to help a court with its proceedings.
The case was tried by a master, who concluded that the plaintiffs were the equitable owners of the property.[…]
- A device that is controlling other devices or is an authoritative source.
a master wheel
- A person holding an office of authority, especially the presiding officer.
- broadlyA person holding a similar office in other civic societies.
- A male dominant.
Older & obsolete senses (3)
- datedA male head of household.
- datedA male schoolteacher.
- datedA man or a boy; mister. See Master.
adjective · etymology 1
- not comparableMasterful.
a master performance
- not comparableMain, principal or predominant.
- not comparableHighly skilled.
master batsman
- not comparableOriginal.
master copy
verb · etymology 1
- intransitiveTo be a master.
- transitiveTo become the master of; to subject to one's will, control, or authority; to conquer; to overpower; to subdue.
Obstinacy and willful neglects must be mastered, even though it cost blows.1693, [John Locke], “(please specify the section number)”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], →OCLC:
- transitiveTo learn to a high degree of proficiency.
It took her years to master the art of needlecraft.
- especiallytransitiveTo make a master copy of.
- intransitiveusuallyTo earn a Master's degree.
He mastered in English at the state college.
Older & obsolete senses (1)
- obsoletetransitiveTo own; to possess.
noun · etymology 2
- in compoundsA vessel having a specified number of masts.
a two-master
Cross-check: WordNet senses (12)
- nounan artist of consummate skill — also: maestro
- nouna person who has general authority over others — also: overlord, lord
- nouna combatant who is able to defeat rivals — also: victor, superior
- noundirects the work of others
- nounpresiding officer of a school — also: headmaster, schoolmaster
- nounan original creation (i.e., an audio recording) from which copies can be made — also: master copy, original
- nounan officer who is licensed to command a merchant ship — also: captain, sea captain, skipper
- nounsomeone who holds a master's degree from academic institution
- nounan authority qualified to teach apprentices — also: professional
- nounkey that secures entrance everywhere — also: passkey, passe-partout, master key
- verbbe or become completely proficient or skilled in — also: get the hang
- verbget on top of; deal with successfully — also: overcome, get over, subdue, surmount
2 History of the word
The etymology, the path the word travelled, and the words built from it.
Etymology 1 (noun, adjective, verb)
The word’s journey, newest to oldest:
- English (today)master
- Middle Englishmaister
- Old Englishmǣster
- Latinmagister “chief, teacher, leader”
- Old Latinmagester
- Proto-Indo-European*méǵh₂s (as in magnus (“great”) “great” + -ester/-ister (compare minister (“servant”) “servant”
From Middle English maister, mayster, meister (noun) and maistren (verb), from Old English mǣster, mæġster, mæġester, mæġister, magister (“master”), from Latin magister (“chief, teacher, leader”), from Old Latin magester, from Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂s (as in magnus (“great”), also cognate of English much and mickle) + -ester/-ister (compare minister (“servant”)). Reinforced by Old French maistre, mestre (noun) and maistriier, maister (verb) from the same Latin source. Compare also Saterland Frisian Mäster (“master”), West Frisian master (“master”), Dutch meester (“master”), German Meister (“master”). Doublet of maestro, magister, and meister.
Etymology 2 (noun)
The word’s journey, newest to oldest:
- English (today)master
- Englishmast + -er
From mast + -er.
Derivatives — words built from “master”
Phrases & compounds
Related terms
Want to go deeper? See also “master” on Etymonline ↗
3 Original language
Where “master” came from before it was English.
Etymology 1 (noun, adjective, verb)
Etymology 2 (noun)
4 Original meaning
What the word meant at the oldest point the record reaches.
Historical meaning — Webster’s 1913
A historical record, labelled as such: some of these senses are dated or have since shifted.
master n.
- A vessel having (so many) masts; -- used only in compounds; as, a two-master.
master n. [OE. maistre, maister, OF. maistre, mestre, F. ma, fr. L. magister, orig. a double comparative from the root of magnus great, akin to Gr. me`gas. Cf. Maestro, Magister, Magistrate, Magnitude, Major, Mister, Mistress, Mickle.]
- A male person having another living being so far subject to his will, that he can, in the main, control his or its actions; -- formerly used with much more extensive application than now.
- The employer of a servant.
- The owner of a slave.
- The person to whom an apprentice is articled.
master v. t.
- To become the master of; to subject to one's will, control, or authority; to conquer; to overpower; to subdue.
- To gain the command of, so as to understand or apply; to become an adept in; as, to master a science.
- To own; to posses.
5 Use it with confidence
Model sentences from the sources, matched to the meaning they show. Read each one aloud, then make your own in the game.
nounMeaning: Someone who has control over something or someone.
We are masters of the sea.1881, Benjamin Jowett, Thucydides:
When I have thus made myself master of a hundred thousand drachmas […].1712 November 23 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison; Richard Steele et al.], “WEDNESDAY, November 13, 1712”, in The Spectator, number 535; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […],
nounMeaning: The captain of a merchant ship; a master mariner.
Master at two-and-twenty, and married at twenty-three—1896, Rudyard Kipling, The Mary Gloster:
nounMeaning: Someone who employs others.
No matter how early I came down, I would find him on the veranda, smoking cigarettes, or otherwise his man would be there with a message to say that his master would shortly join me if I would kindly wait.1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter IV, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC, page 46:
nounMeaning: An expert at something.
Mark Twain was a master of fiction.
But that which chiefly distinguishes Addison from Swift, from Voltaire, from almost all the other great masters of ridicule, is the grace, the nobleness, the moral purity, which we find even in his merriment.1843 July, [Thomas Babington Macaulay], “Art. VII—The Life of Joseph Addison. By Lucy Aikin.”, in The Edinburgh Review, number CLVII, page 231:
nounMeaning: A master's degree; a type of postgraduate degree, usually undertaken after a bachelor degree.
She has a master in psychology.
nounMeaning: A person holding such a degree.
He is a master of marine biology.
nounMeaning: an artist of consummate skill
a master of the violin
one of the old masters
verbMeaning: be or become completely proficient or skilled in
She mastered Japanese in less than two years
Three steps to owning it
- Pick one meaning above and read its model sentence out loud.
- Say who or what the word is about in your own life, then build a sentence around that.
- Check it against the definition: would a careful reader understand exactly that meaning?
6 The mastery game
Play it here, or print it and do it with pen and paper. At the end you will know the meanings, history, origin and original meaning — and you will have used the word yourself.
Say it, then spell it
master
/ˈmɑːstə/ · mas·ter
Say the word out loud three times, slowly. Notice the stressed syllable. When you are ready, hide it and spell it from memory.
Activate Words · Word-mastery worksheet · Name: ______________________ Date: __________
master
/ˈmɑːstə/ · mas·ter · noun, adjective, verb
Step 1 — Say it and write it
Say “master” out loud three times. Then cover the word and write it three times from memory.
Step 2 — Know every meaning
Read each definition. Then write it again in your own words.
Step 3 — Which meaning is it?
“Mark Twain was a master of fiction.”
Circle the meaning used.
“She has a master in psychology.”
Circle the meaning used.
“He is a master of marine biology.”
Circle the meaning used.
Step 4 — History and origin
Write the word’s journey back in time (each language and form):
Write three words built from “master” and what each means:
Step 5 — Original meaning
The earliest traceable form is Latin magister. What did it mean?
How does that original meaning connect to the meanings today?
Step 6 — Use it yourself
☐ I can explain its meanings ☐ I know its history ☐ I know its original language ☐ I know its original meaning ☐ I can use it confidently
Answer key — master
Which meaning, sentence 1: B. An expert at something.
Which meaning, sentence 2: B. A master's degree; a type of postgraduate degree, usually undertaken after a bachelor degree.
Which meaning, sentence 3: C. A person holding such a degree.
Origin: D. Latin (Latin magister)
Journey: English master ← Middle English maister ← Old English mǣster ← Latin magister ← Old Latin magester ← Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂s + -ester/-ister
Some derivatives: archmaster, baggagemaster, balletmaster, bandmaster, bargemaster, barmaster, battlemaster, beachmaster
Original meaning: Latin magister — “chief, teacher, leader”
Built from: *méǵh₂s “great” + -ester/-ister “servant”
Etymology: From Middle English maister, mayster, meister (noun) and maistren (verb), from Old English mǣster, mæġster, mæġester, mæġister, magister (“master”), from Latin magister (“chief, teacher, leader”), from Old Latin magester, from Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂s (as in magnus (“great”), also cognate of English much and mickle) + -ester/-ister (compare minister (“servant”)). Reinforced by Old French maistre, mestre (noun) and maistriier, maister (verb) from the same Latin source. Compare also Saterland Frisian Mäster (“master”), West Frisian master (“master”), Dutch meester (“master”), German Meister (“master”). Doublet of maestro, magister, and meister.
Sources: Wiktionary “master” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/master#English), CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org; Princeton WordNet 3.0; Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913, public domain) via GCIDE. Worksheet from https://activatewords.com/w/master