Meaning

noun an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man

noun a woman schoolteacher (especially one regarded as strict)

noun a woman master who directs the work of others

originEtymology tree Proto-Indo-European *meǵh₂-der.? Proto-Indo-European *meh₂-der.? Proto-Italic *magisteros Latin magister, magistrum Old French maistre Ancient Greek -ισσα (-issa)bor. Latin -issader. Old French -esse Old French maistressebor. Middle English maistresse English mistress From Middle English maistresse, from Old French maistresse (whence French maîtresse), feminine of maistre…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0