mister

See also: Mister and míster

English

Pronunciation

  • enPR: mĭsʹ-tər, IPA(key): /ˈmɪstəɹ/
  • (UK) IPA(key): [ˈmɪstə(ɹ)]
  • (US) IPA(key): [ˈmɪstɚ]
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -ɪstə(r)
  • Homophones: Mr., Mister
  • Hyphenation: mis‧ter

Etymology 1

Unaccented variant of master, attested since the 15th century.

Noun

mister (plural misters)

  1. A title conferred on an adult male, usually when the name is unknown. Also used as a term of address, often by a parent to a young child.
    You may sit here, mister.
    • 1855, George Musalas Colvocoresses, Four Years in the Government Exploring Expedition, J. M. Fairchild & co., page 358:
      Fine day to see sights, gentlemen. Well, misters, here's the railing round the ground, and there's the paling round the tomb, eight feet deep, six feet long, and three feet wide.
    • 1908, Jack Brand, By Wild Waves Tossed: An Ocean Love Story, The McClure Company, page 90:
      There's only three misters aboard this ship, or, rather, there's only two.
    • 1996, Spice Girls (band), Wannabe (song)
      God help the mister who comes between me and my sisters.
    • 2013, Asterix and the Picts, page 37
      Asterix: What? And only now you tell us?
      Obelix: I was talking to the future queen, mister Asterix!
      Asterix: And I advise you to change your tone, mister Obelix!
      Obelix: The future queen and I don't need your advice, mister Asterix! Mister Asterix gives too much advice anyway!
Usage notes

Use of the term, enunciated with extra emphasis, may express scorn.

Coordinate terms
Translations

Verb

mister (third-person singular simple present misters, present participle mistering, simple past and past participle mistered)

  1. (transitive) To address by the title of "mister".

Etymology 2

From Middle English mister, myster, from Anglo-Norman mester, meister (et al.), from Latin misterium, a medieval conflation of Latin ministerium (ministry) with Latin mysterium (mystery).[1]

Noun

mister (plural misters)

  1. (obsolete) Someone's business or function; an occupation, employment, trade.
  2. (now rare, dialectal) A kind, type of.
    • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, I.ix:
      The Redcrosse knight toward him crossed fast, / To weet, what mister wight was so dismayd [].
  3. (obsolete) Need (of something).
    • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter viij, in Le Morte Darthur, book VII:
      And thenne the grene knyghte kneled doune / and dyd hym homage with his swerd / thenne said the damoisel me repenteth grene knyghte of your dommage / and of youre broders dethe the black knyghte / for of your helpe I had grete myster / For I drede me sore to passe this forest / Nay drede you not sayd the grene knyghte / for ye shal lodge with me this nyghte / and to morne I shalle helpe you thorou this forest
  4. (obsolete) Necessity; the necessary time.
    • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter xv, in Le Morte Darthur, book I:
      It was by Merlyns auyse said the knyghte / As for hym sayd kynge Carados / I wylle encountre with kynge bors / and ye wil rescowe me whan myster is / go on said they al / we wil do all that we may

Verb

mister (third-person singular simple present misters, present participle mistering, simple past and past participle mistered)

  1. (obsolete, impersonal) To be necessary; to matter.
    • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, III.vii:
      As for my name, it mistreth not to tell; / Call me the Squyre of Dames that me beseemeth well.

Etymology 3

mist + -er.

Noun

mister (plural misters)

  1. A device that makes or sprays mist.
    Odessa D. uses a mister Sunday to fight the 106-degree heat at a NASCAR race in Fontana, California.
Derived terms

References

Anagrams


Danish

Verb

mister

  1. present of miste

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from English mister.

Noun

mister m (invariable)

  1. mister (appellation)
  2. (soccer) coach (trainer)

Anagrams


Latvian

Noun

mister m

  1. vocative singular of misters

Middle English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman mester, from Medieval Latin misterium, a variant of ministerium influenced by mysterium. Doublet of mysterie (duty).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /misˈtɛːr/, /ˈmistər/

Noun

mister (plural mysteres)

  1. A station, position, or rank in a hierarchy or structure:
    1. One's job or line of work; a profession.
    2. One's objective, aim, goal or duty; especially the inherent use of something.
  2. A requirement; something that one must have:
    1. An issue or challenge; something that must be overcome.
    2. A situation where people face want or hardship; penury.
  3. An organisation dedicated to promoting a possession.
  4. A custom, habit or behaviour; a deed.
  5. An ability; the knowledge of how to perform a job.

Derived terms

Descendants

References


Norwegian Bokmål

Verb

mister

  1. present tense of miste

Norwegian Nynorsk

Verb

mister

  1. present tense of mista

Polish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈmʲi.stɛr/

Noun

mister m pers

  1. winner of a male beauty pageant

Declension


Portuguese

Etymology 1

From Old Portuguese mester, *mẽester, from Latin ministerium (employment).

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /misˈtɛɾ/
  • (Paulista) IPA(key): /misˈtɛɹ/
  • (South Brazil) IPA(key): /misˈtɛɻ/

Adjective

mister (plural mister, comparable)

  1. (law) of the utmost importance
  2. necessary

Noun

mister m (plural misteres)

  1. office, work, employment, occupation, profession
  2. position in a profession
  3. need; necessity
Synonyms

Noun

mister m (plural misters)

  1. Alternative form of míster

Romanian

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowed from French mystère.

Noun

mister n (plural mistere)

  1. mystery

Declension


Swedish

Verb

mister

  1. present tense of mista.
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