master
pronunciation
How to pronounce master in British English: UK [ˈmɑːstə(r)]
How to pronounce master in American English: US [ˈmæstər]
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- Noun:
- an artist of consummate skill
- a person who has general authority over others
- a combatant who is able to defeat rivals
- directs the work of other
- presiding officer of a school
- an original creation (i.e., an audio recording) from which copies can be made
- an officer who is licensed to command a merchant ship
- someone who holds a master's degree from academic institution
- an authority qualified to teach apprentices
- key that secures entrance everywhere
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- Verb:
- be or become completely proficient or skilled in
- get on top of; deal with successfully
- have dominance or the power to defeat over
- have a firm understanding or knowledge of; be on top of
Word Origin
- master
- master: [OE] The Latin word for ‘master, chief’ was magister (which is generally assumed to have been based on the root of Latin magis ‘more’ and magnus ‘big’, source of English magnify, magnitude, etc). Its more obvious English descendants include magistrate and magisterial, and indeed English originally acquired magister itself in the 10th century in the form mægister, but over the years (partly under the influence of Old French maistre) this developed to master.The feminine counterpart mistress [14] was borrowed from Old French maistresse, a form maintained in English for some time. The alteration of mais- to mis- began in the 15th century, due probably to the weakly-stressed use of the word as a title (a phenomenon also responsible for the emergence of mister [16] from master). The abbreviated miss followed in the 17th century.=> magistrate, magnitude, magnum, miss, mister, mistress
- master (n.)
- late Old English mægester "one having control or authority," from Latin magister (n.) "chief, head, director, teacher" (source of Old French maistre, French maître, Spanish and Italian maestro, Portuguese mestre, Dutch meester, German Meister), contrastive adjective ("he who is greater") from magis (adv.) "more," from PIE *mag-yos-, comparative of root *meg- "great" (see mickle). Form influenced in Middle English by Old French cognate maistre. Meaning "original of a recording" is from 1904. In academic senses (from Medieval Latin magister) it is attested from late 14c., originally a degree conveying authority to teach in the universities. As an adjective from late 12c.
- master (v.)
- early 13c., "to get the better of," from master (n.) and also from Old French maistrier, from Medieval Latin magistrare. Meaning "to reduce to subjugation" is early 15c.; that of "to acquire complete knowledge" is from 1740s. Related: Mastered; mastering.
Example
- 1. This leads back to lee 's first rule : the master franchisee is crucial .
- 2. But how does one master the unnatural ?
- 3. Enterprise has begun to name the specific skills that trainees are acquiring as they master them .
- 4. Sorkin is the master of romantic relationships that are painfully , hilariously dysfunctional .
- 5. Stephen covey was a master synthesizer .