master

1 noun (C)

1 OWNER/LEADER old-fashioned a man who has control or authority over other people, for example servants or workers: His staff were always very loyal to their master. | be your own master (=control your own work or life): I started this business because I wanted to be my own master.

—compare mistress

2 be master of to be in complete control of a situation: Without these changes, Africa cannot be master of its own economic destiny.

3 SKILLED someone who is very skilled at something: Runyon was a master of the short story. | learning from an acknowledged master

4 be a past master to be very good at doing something because you have done it a lot

(+ at/in/of): He's a past master at getting free drinks out of people.

5 ORIGINAL a document, record etc from which copies are made: I gave him the master to copy.

6 TEACHER BrE old-fashioned a male teacher: the maths master

—see also: headmaster

7 DOG OWNER the male owner of a dog: a dog and its master

8 SHIP someone who commands a ship

—see also: grand master, old master, quiz­master 2 verb (T)

1 to learn a skill or a language so well that you understand it completely and have no difficulty with it: that well-known difficulty of mastering the Chinese writing system

2 master your fear/weakness etc to manage to control a strong emotion

3 adjective (only before noun)

1 master copy/list/tape etc the original thing from which copies are made: the master list of telephone numbers

2 most important or main: the master control center at NASA

3 master craftsman/chef/plumber etc someone who is very skilled at a particular job, especially a job that involves working with your hands