C. T. Onions, A Shakespeare Glossary

1. leader, chief Tit. V. i. 15 “bees . . . Led by their ”

2. captain of a merchant vessel Tp. II. ii. 49 “The , the swabber, the boatswain, and I,” Mac. I. iii. 7 “ o' the Tiger” ; officer having the navigation of a ship of war 2H6 IV. i. stage dir. “a Captain, a Master, a Master's-Mate.”

3. owner Tp. II. i. 5 “The masters of some merchant.”

4. “good ,” patron LLL. IV. i. 107, Wint. V. ii. 197 [188].

5. “great master,” chief officer of a royal household H5 IV. viii. 100.

6. used vocatively as a polite form of address=sir, pl. gentlemen 1H6 I. i. 152 “Farewell, my m-s,” 2H6 II. i. 97 “A plum-tree, ,” Ham. II. ii. 449 [440] “You are welcome, masters.”

7. title prefixed to a man's name (in old edd. abbreviated “ ” or “Mr.”), e.g. Wiv. I. i. 46 “Master” “Thomas Page”; prefixed to a designation of office or profession Ado III. iii. 17 “Master constable,” LLL. IV. ii. 87 “Master” (F1 “) schoolmaster,” Tim. IV. ii. 1 “Master” (F1 “) steward.”

8. “young ,” applied by inferiors to the boys and young men of the families of their superiors Mer.V. II. ii. 52 “young Master Launcelot” ; banteringly in Lr. II. ii. 50 “come on, young master.”

9. as adj.=main, principal, chief H8 III. ii. 107 “The cord on 's heart,” Cæs. III. i. 163 “The choice and spirits of this age,” Oth. II. i. 270 “the and main exercise,” Per. IV. vi. 8 “her master reasons.”