mistress
    n 1: an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing
         extramarital sexual relationship with a man [syn:
         mistress, kept woman, fancy woman]
    2: a woman schoolteacher (especially one regarded as strict)
       [syn: schoolmarm, schoolma'am, schoolmistress,
       mistress]
    3: a woman master who directs the work of others

Mistress \Mis"tress\, n. [OE. maistress, OF. maistresse, F.
   ma[^i]tresse, LL. magistrissa, for L. magistra, fem. of
   magister. See Master, Mister, and cf. Miss a young
   woman.]
   1. A woman having power, authority, or ownership; a woman who
      exercises authority, is chief, etc.; the female head of a
      family, a school, etc.
      [1913 Webster]

            The late queen's gentlewoman! a knight's daughter!
            To be her mistress' mistress!         --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. A woman well skilled in anything, or having the mastery
      over it.
      [1913 Webster]

            A letter desires all young wives to make themselves
            mistresses of Wingate's Arithmetic.   --Addison.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. A woman regarded with love and devotion; she who has
      command over one's heart; a beloved object; a sweetheart.
      [Poetic] --Clarendon.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. A woman filling the place, but without the rights, of a
      wife; a woman having an ongoing usually exclusive sexual
      relationship with a man, who may provide her with
      financial support in return; a concubine; a loose woman
      with whom one consorts habitually; as, both his wife and
      his mistress attended his funeral. --Spectator.
      [1913 Webster +PJC]

   5. A title of courtesy formerly prefixed to the name of a
      woman, married or unmarried, but now superseded by the
      contracted forms, Mrs., for a married, and Miss, for an
      unmarried, woman.
      [1913 Webster]

            Now Mistress Gilpin (careful soul).   --Cowper.
      [1913 Webster]

   6. A married woman; a wife. [Scot.]
      [1913 Webster]

            Several of the neighboring mistresses had assembled
            to witness the event of this memorable evening.
                                                  --Sir W.
                                                  Scott.
      [1913 Webster]

   7. The old name of the jack at bowls. --Beau. & Fl.
      [1913 Webster]

   To be one's own mistress, to be exempt from control by
      another person.
      [1913 Webster]

Mistress \Mis"tress\, v. i.
   To wait upon a mistress; to be courting. [Obs.] --Donne.
   [1913 Webster]