master

CEFRB1

/ˈmɑːs.tə/

noun · verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A person highly skilled in a subject or activity.

  2. 02

    verb

    To learn or control something completely.

Examples

  • It's quite difficult to master French in 2 or 3 years.

  • They lived in fear of their master.

At a glance

Sits at B1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Also pronounced

  • /ˈmaːs.tə/
  • /ˈmas.tə/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. The captain of a merchant ship; a master mariner.

  2. The owner of an animal or slave.

  3. Someone who has control over something or someone.

More examples

In context

  • You are the master of your own destiny.

  • He is a master of marine biology.

  • Mark Twain was a master of fiction.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The chess tournament was won by a true blank who never lost a game.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle English maister, mayster, meister (noun) and maistren (verb), from Old English mǣster, mæġster, mæġester, mæġister, magister (“master”), from Latin magister (“chief, teacher, leader”), from Old Latin magester, from Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂s (as in magnus (“great”), also cognate of English much and mickle) + -ester/-ister (compare minister (“servant”)). Reinforced by Old French maistre, mestre (noun) and maistriier, maister (verb) from the same Latin source. Compare also Saterland Frisian Mäster (“master”), West Frisian master (“master”), Dutch meester (“master”), German Meister (“master”). Doublet of maestro, magister, and meister.