master

I UK [ˈmɑːstə(r)] / US [ˈmæstər] noun [countable]
Word forms "master":
singular master plural masters
***

1)

a) a man who is very good at something

master at:

O'Sullivan is an absolute master at this type of shot.

master of:

He's a master of the clever remark.

b) art a famous artist

original prints from modern masters such as Chagall and Hockney

2) old-fashioned a man who has control over servants or other people who work for him

Many children found themselves working for masters who exploited them.

a) a person who has control over other people

Civil servants simply implement the policies of their political masters.

b) a person who has control over something

be master of something:

a system under which people are masters of their own lives

c) a man who is the official leader of an organization, group, or event

the master of the Hunt

See:

master of ceremonies

d) the man who owns a particular dog

See how she stays close to her master.

e) the captain of a ship that carries goods

f) British old-fashioned a male teacher

g) master or Master a man who is in charge of a college in some British universities or of a building where people live in some colleges in the US

3) a document, photograph, recording etc from which copies are made

a digital master

4) Master

old-fashioned used for talking to or about a young boy

5) Master used for talking to or about some religious leaders or teachers of martial arts

•

serve one/two etc masters — to be controlled by one/two etc people or things

- be a past master at doing something

II UK [ˈmɑːstə(r)] / US [ˈmæstər] verb [transitive]
Word forms "master":
present tense I/you/we/they master he/she/it masters present participle mastering past tense mastered past participle mastered
*

1) to learn something thoroughly so that you know it or can do it very well

She never managed to master the Greek language.

master the art of (doing) something:

Lewis has mastered the art of giving nothing away in interviews.

2) to manage to control something such as an emotion

It seemed that the senator was unable to master his feelings.

III UK [ˈmɑːstə(r)] / US [ˈmæstər] adjective [only before noun]

1) a master document, photograph, recording etc is one from which copies are made

the master tape

2) used with the name of a job to show that someone has a lot of experience and skill and can train other people

His father was a master carpenter.