master

mas•ter

[[t]ˈmæs tər, ˈmɑ stər[/t]] n.

1) a person with the ability or power to control:

master of one's fate[/ex]

2) an owner of a slave or animal

3) an employer, esp. of servants

4) the male head of a household

5) a person preeminent in a discipline, as an art or science:

the great masters of modern art[/ex]

6) an esteemed religious leader:

a Zen master[/ex]

7) brit. Chiefly Brit. a male teacher

8) a worker qualified to teach apprentices

9) a bridge or chess player who has won or placed in a designated number of tournaments

10) a person who commands a merchant ship

11) a victor; conqueror

12) an officer of the court who assists a judge by taking testimony and making a report to the court

13) edu a person who has been awarded a master's degree

14) a boy or young man (used chiefly as a term of address)

15) pri an original document, drawing, manuscript, etc., from which copies are made

16) hfi a tape or disk from which duplicates may be made

17) mac a device for controlling another device operating in a similar way

Compare slave 4)

18) being master; exercising mastery; dominant

19) chief; principal:

a master list[/ex]

20) controlling others of its type:

master switch[/ex]

21) rtv pri being a master from which copies can be made:

a master tape[/ex]

22) eminently skilled:

master designer[/ex]

23) to make oneself master of:

to master a language[/ex]

24) to conquer; overcome

25) to rule or direct as master

26) hfi to produce a master tape, disk, or record of

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Etymology: bef. 900; ME maistre, maister, OE magister < L; akin to magnus great mas′ter•ship`, n.