housemistressn.
/ˈhaʊsˌmɪstrᵻs/, U.S. /ˈhaʊsˌmɪstrᵻs/ 1. The female head of a family or household; the mistress of the house, the female counterpart of housemaster n. 1. Cf. housewife n. 1.Common in the 19th cent.; rare before and after that period.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > rule or government > rule or government of family or tribe > head of family, tribe, or clan > [noun] > head of household > woman
ladyeOE
house lady?c1225
housewifec1225
goodwifec1275
mistressa1375
hussy1530
madam1647
goodya1680
housemistress1689
the Mrs1821
housemother1822
miesiesa1931
1689 E. Howard Caroloiades 272 A transom Lattise did divide that Room, Where to another Bed one was to come, That had been to the gay House-Mistriss known.
1834 Magnolia 5 Apr. 224/2 ‘Betty,’ said a house mistress..to her newly acquired maid, ‘why do you not rise early in the morning—have the fires made, and the breakfast prepared?’
1856 Times 3 Jan. 8/2 The householder will pay higher..for his carpenter, his plumber, his painter; the house-mistress..for her cook or her laundress.
1887 Pall Mall Gaz. 13 May 14/1 [The bride] may henceforward regard herself as the true housemistress. She crosses the threshold, and the whole party follows.
1927 Folk-lore 38 143 In remote..places like Kastoria..it [sc. a cake] is baked by the house-mistress herself, who wears all her..best clothes for the occasion.
2. A woman responsible for the welfare of pupils in a school or similar institution, esp. one for girls; a mistress in charge of one of the houses at a boarding school. See house n.1 7c.
ΘΚΠ
society > education > teaching > teacher > schoolteacher or schoolmaster > [noun] > housemaster or housemistress
housefather1777
housemaster1839
housemother1844
house head1862
housemistress1884
house dad1919
house mum1961
1884 Star (Guernsey) 15 Jan. Presentation of Testimonial to Miss S. M. Eaton, House Mistress of the Ladies College.
1885 Jrnl. Educ. Jan. 16/1 The house-mistresses are constantly in communication, too, with the college teachers and heads of departments.
1912 A. Brazil New Girl at St. Chad's iii. 42 Her house-mistress would not have been ready to overlook any deficiency in punctuality.
1961 Evening Standard 26 July 25/6 (advt.) Education Committee..House-mistress (non-teaching) required..Technical School for Girls.
1972 Daily Tel. 24 Nov. 6/6 I shall continue as housemistress and shall teach mathematics and religious education.
2009 Times Educ. Suppl. (Nexis) 10 Apr. 36 Becoming a housemistress seemed a logical career move, because I've always enjoyed the pastoral side of teaching.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2011; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1689