mistress (3 is the commonest S. use)
1.
woman having a
protecting or guiding influence
Lr. II. i. 42
“conjuring the moon To
stand auspicious mistress.”
2.
female possessor or
owner Gent. IV. iv. 209;
“ of,” possessed
of, having at disposal AYL. I. ii.
4, Wint. III. ii. 60.
3.
chief, first
H8 III. i. 151
“the lily, That once was
of
the field”
; as adj.
H5 II. iv. 133
“the court of mighty
Europe.”
4.
(as a title or
prefix)=madam
LLL. V. ii. 845
“, look on
me”
; =Mrs.,
Wiv. IV. ii. 139
“
Ford”
; =Miss
Wiv. I. i. 197
“ Anne
Page”
; jocularly in Tp. IV. i.
237, Shr. V. ii. 42, Rom. III. v. 152.
5.
=JACK 6, Troil. III. ii.
50.
