master1 nounmaster2 verbmaster3 adjective
mastermas‧ter1 /ˈmɑːstə $ ˈmæstər/ ●●○ S3 W3 noun [countable] 
WORD ORIGINmaster1
Origin:
1000-1100 Old French maistre and the word it came from, Latin magister ‘chief’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- At one time, the French were the colonial masters of Vietnam.
- Maxwell's soul-singing style has been compared to that of such masters as Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye.
- Bill Ritchie is now the master of these techniques, but he learnt them originally from Lawrence.
- Deaver was a master of his craft.
- He is master of the depths.
- He was a master at economizing on his investments.
- Later that evening Heathcliff's servant Joseph arrived and asked to speak to the master.
- The upshot of the litigation was that the non-litigation costs, together with the litigation costs, were taxed by the taxing master.
- They were waiting for their masters to carry them overseas to slavery.
WORD SETS
able seaman, nounadmiral, nounahoy, interjectionarmada, nounbattle cruiser, nounbattleship, nounbroadside, nouncommodore, nouncruiser, noundepth charge, noundestroyer, nounensign, nounflagship, nounfleet admiral, nounflight deck, nounflight sergeant, noungunboat, nounlanding craft, nounman-of-war, nounmarine, adjectiveMarine, nounmariner, nounmaster, nounmaster-at-arms, nounmate, nounmidshipman, nounminesweeper, nounnaval, adjectivenavigator, nounperiscope, nounpetty officer, nounpocket battleship, nounquartermaster, nounrating, nounrear admiral, nounRN, seaman, nounsea power, nounsignalman, nounsub, nounsublieutenant, nounsubmarine, nounsubmariner, nounU-boat, nounvice-admiral, nounyeoman, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
He wrote his doctoral thesis on contemporary French literature. the undisputed world heavyweight championCOLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
(=the biggest bedroom in a house)· The master bedroom has a view of the sea.
(=a very skilled player)· An eight year-old who can beat a chess master is remarkable.
(=the highest title a chess player can get)· Bobby Fischer was an American chess grand master.
(=a higher degree for which you study for one or two years)· She's taking her master's degree.
(=succeed in learning a language well)· She had had a long struggle to master the Russian language.
(=a detailed plan for dealing with a complicated situation)· The governors came up with a master plan for saving the school.
(=learn it so that your skill is very good)· Many of these children have not mastered basic academic skills.
He wrote his doctoral thesis on contemporary French literature. the undisputed world heavyweight champion· Now the grand old masters and mistresses of the day, their works were widely published, exhibited and collected.· It was the grand master of Fuckspeak, the Human Piranha.· But even with 50 years' worth of advances in movie technology, the young upstart can't beat the grand master.· Perhaps the grand master of dysfunction was the late Francis Bacon, who made a considerable fortune out of it.· Scargill dominated the hearings with his presence like some grand master of ceremonies.· Those running the global economy appear to lack the grand-master strategy.· The senior functionary on boards was Amir Aslan Afshar, the grand master of ceremonies.
· The neo-Aristotelians or Peripatetics devoted themselves to the clarification of the work of their great master.· When I grew up I became a ventriloquist, and at that I was very well trained by a great master.· They were the first to study magic and remain the greatest masters of it in the known world.· Insects are the great masters of disguise.· Addison insists that there are deviations from artistic rules in the works of the greatest masters.· Sophocles is a great master of theatre and of plot.
· It is clear to her that the old ropes are still being pulled by the new masters.· The payments of rents and services went on as before, only to new masters.· Peter became consumed by devotion to his new master and had time for little else.· Even where the logos are being retained, these names are overshadowed by those of their new masters.· Bombs are only an incidental accessory for the new masters.· The new master at the institution was Mr. H. M. Allen, and his wife was appointed matron.· From the kitchens came the new master, carrying an armful of cardboard chain-mail.
· It's to do with the difficulties of finding and selling old masters these days.· In retrospect he criticized one of his old drawing masters for encouraging students to copy from photographs.· The old masters of misery have lost their crown to Corrie.· The space age escalator and exposed metal piping of the foyer segued into a spiraling wooden staircase and crinkly old master prints.· The room around them spoke clearly of its old master.· And Royle is hoping to outsmart the old master, just like he did last season.· The novice promised the old master a fantastic tale about a severed head that talks.
· For all we know, the political masters of those who destroyed Flight 103 are now our allies in the Gulf crisis.· He can count himself lucky not to have been blamed for the bounce by his political masters.· The region's new political masters turned to them in a desperate hope that their expertise would make good their own helplessness.· Even some of their political masters in London have recognised the follies of some of the goings-on in those areas.
NOUN· They went straight into the master bedroom, where a leather briefcase stood open on the floor.· This was the master bedroom, with the master bath.· It includes master bedroom with ensuite shower room, three further bedrooms, second bathroom, gas central heating, double garage.· Bedroom; probably the master bedroom.· Liz's face must have said so, for Anna undressed in the master bedroom and climbed into bed.· The wedding was over and Edna had moved into the master bedroom.
· A society of master chefs was formed to achieve professional status similar to that of doctors or lawyers for its members.· I., will resume its master chefs series in the autumn.· Here passengers ate delicacies prepared by a master chef under an arched ceiling of embossed leather and oil paintings.
· The master copy is made on special coated paper which has a glossy surface on one side.· The advent of live links raises interesting questions about which is the master copy.· The master copy is then placed round the drum of the duplicator.· It then passes under a roller which presses it against the master copy, leaving a positive image on the copy paper.· One of Psion's engineers had collected a master copy of a new program.· The master copy is prepared on a thin metal plate or special paper.· The list is typed; a master copy is held by the store and another is sent on to you.
· Better-heeled artificers must almost certainly have been master craftsmen employing labour themselves.· Some became apprentices who worked beside a master craftsman to become competent in their field.· His problem was solved by Bill Bird, a master craftsman, based at Blockley in Gloucestershire.· They work under the supervision of a Meister, a master craftsman who also is a skilled teacher.· The knight speaks for the landed interest, the merchant for international trade, and the capper for the working master craftsman.· A master craftsman is at work here - don't be fooled by the apparent simplicity.· In writing, as in painting, Emily Carr was a master craftsman.
· Not a secret master plan on the part of the Emperor - but a dagger aimed at his heart?· The tentative concepts of the five finalists in a master plan design competition will go on view for the first time.· And so they moved, with no master plan in mind, first to their small flat in Brussels.· The challenge Chapter 4 will provide you with an opportunity to create a master plan from what you have learned.· Fresh details of the zoo master plan were presented to the Planning Commission on Thursday in a 190-page environmental impact report.· Individual domestic budgets are just the same, and every family should plan its finances following such a master plan.· City officials said the master plan should be ready in December in time for a public hearing.
· The officials saw their very existence as an affront to the creation of the master race.· Why not just stick to our future as slaves of a robot master race?· Gordon Gordon was definitely no great advert for anything, least of all a master race.· The investment banker was a breed apart, a member of a master race of deal makers.
· The station master is wearing a hat shaped like a cucumber.· It had a station house and station master.· Like all former managers and station masters, he was keen to justify his own stewardship.· Alas, the station master at Ripon spoiled the plan.· The women complained to the station master - and Knowles was taken off at the next station.
· The amp's master volume pot, headphone socket and mains switch make up the remainder of front panel controls.· One minor criticism is that the recording level can be effected by the master volume controls on the Carvin.· Many master volume amps can give a fair simulation of flat out response at reasonable output levels by overloading the preamp.· The good old master volume slider sits farthest right.· Last comes the master volume rotary, with the mains rocker switch located to the far right.
VERB· Mansell had become the master of the unexpected, the outrageous pass.· If Cinderella is to become master of her own fate, her parents' authority must be diminished.· His parents subsequently became master and matron of Poplar union workhouse.· There he became master of the Emma, a brig of 122 tons.· In 1519 Vertue gave up his patent as king's mason and became joint master with Redman.· They broke away to work independently and become their own masters.
· They were not to serve two masters.· There are fewer secretaries these days, and the ones who remain serve more masters.· As no man can serve two masters we had long been told no wise general tries to fight on two fronts.· During the 1650s he served as master of the Clothworkers' Company and an assistant of the Levant Company.· She served her masters well until 1886, when she was abandoned as a hulk in the Falkland Islands.· This was an extraordinary state of affairs but one which enabled Rodrigo del Bivar to serve so many masters without apparent conflict.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► be master of your own fate/destinyPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1skilled person someone who is very skilled at somethingmaster of- He addressed more than 100 businessmen studying for a Master of Arts Business Administration exam.
- Miss Sue Lawley, journalist and broadcaster. Master of Arts.
- Miss Tessa Sanderson, international athlete. Master of Science.
- Spenser could consider himself a gentleman only on the basis of having been to university and acquired a Master of Arts degree.
- Johnny Morris is a past master at both.
- That sort of thing wasn't her style at all, but Susan was a past master at it.
- In an empire where no one was his own master except the Inca, was it socialism or a dictatorship which prevailed?
- He was a hard master and a dangerous enemy.
- She was a hard taskmaster but a considerably fairer one than la Belle Ethel.
- The summer is a hard master.
- True to his word, he schooled her in horsemanship and was a hard taskmaster.
- Could he bear to see them wired-made vulnerable to the least whim of their lords and masters?
- In the rustic humour there were opportunities for poking fun at lords and masters and oppressive authority, both civil and military.
- Meanwhile our lord and master would sit and drink one cup of tea after another, barking orders from time to time.
Runyon was a master of the short story. a master of disguise Hitchcock was an acknowledged master of suspense.master at (doing) something She’s a master at manipulating people. a work of art by a true master2be a past master (at something) British English to be very good at doing something because you have done it a lot: He’s a past master at getting free drinks out of people.3man with authority old-fashioned a)a man who has control or authority over servants or workers: You’ll have to ask the master’s permission. b)the male owner of a dog4be your own master to be in control of your own life or work: Determined to be his own master, Simmons quit in 1998 and started working freelance.5be master of your own fate/destiny literary to be in complete control of what happens to you: Our country must be master of its own economic destiny.6original a document, record etc from which copies are made: I gave him the master to copy.7 Master of Arts/Science/Education etc a university degree in an arts subject, a science subject etc that you can get after your first degree → MA, MSc, MEd, MPhil, → Bachelor of Arts/Science/Education etc at bachelor(2)8teacher a)British English old-fashioned a male teacher b) (also Master) a wise person whose ideas and words other people accept and follow: a Zen master9young boy (also Master) old-fashioned used when speaking or referring to a young boy: How’s young Master Toby today?10university official (also Master) the person who is in charge of some university colleges in the UK: the Master of Trinity College, Cambridge11captain old-fashioned someone who is in charge of a ship → grand master, old master, quizmastermaster1 nounmaster2 verbmaster3 adjective
mastermaster2 ●●○ verb [transitive] VERB TABLE
master
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | master |
| he, she, it | masters | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | mastered |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have mastered |
| he, she, it | has mastered | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had mastered |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will master |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have mastered |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am mastering |
| he, she, it | is mastering | |
| you, we, they | are mastering | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was mastering |
| you, we, they | were mastering | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been mastering |
| he, she, it | has been mastering | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been mastering |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be mastering |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been mastering |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Children have usually mastered the concepts of weight and length by the age of 8.
- It takes years to master the art of weaving.
- Nguyen helps Vietnamese students who haven't mastered English.
- She soon got to know the local customs and eventually mastered the language.
- A new intelligentsia, bold and active, has eliminated the old one, bookish and conservative; and it masters.
- How a boy learns to express and master his aggressiveness is important in the growth of his sense of self-worth.
- It appeared to me that the only thing he had never mastered was paper hanging.
- Jimmy Carter was mastered by it.
- Loved for his big glasses and silly grin, he mastered the art of playing guitar while walking in circles.
- She is afraid of the bathtub and has never mastered the art of taking a shower.
- The enterprise is hard because it has to involve mastering new language in new ways.
- They had a new machine in, but after a pound or so I had mastered it and won an extra spaceship.
THESAURUS
to gain knowledge of a subject or skill, especially by being taught or trained: · How long have you been learning Italian?· At what age can you learn to drive in America?
to learn about a subject by reading books, going to classes etc, especially at school or university: · She’s studying music at Berkeley College in California.
to learn the skills and get the experience that you need in order to do a particular job: · Julie’s training to be a nurse.
to learn something without much effort, by watching or listening to other people: · It’s easy to pick up a language when you’re living in a country.· The rules of the game are easy – you’ll soon pick them up.
informal to learn how to do or use something that is fairly complicated, especially with practice: · It took me a while to get the hang of all the features on my new camera.
British English, review American English to study facts again, especially on your own, in order to learn them before an examination: · Jenny’s upstairs revising for her Maths exam tomorrow.
to learn something so well that you have no difficulty with it, especially a skill or a language: · She gave me a book called ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking’.· I learnt Spanish for years but I never really mastered it.
Longman Language Activatorto learn how to do something, or learn about something to learn how to do something, or to learn about a subject, especially by being taught or trained: · How long have you been learning German?· The CD is specially designed to let children learn at their own pace.learn to do something: · His daughter's learning to drive.· William learned to read when he was four.learn how to do something (=learn a method or skill): · On this course, you will learn how to deal with communication problems.· How long did it take you to learn how to do this?learn about: · Before you sail, you need to learn about basic boat controls.· Our children attend the group twice a week to learn about Sikhism.
to learn about a subject by reading books and going to classes at a school or university: study English/Biology/Music etc: · Less than 10% of girls choose to study Science at school.· She's studying Music at Berkeley College in Boston.· My parents first met when dad was studying in England.study to be a doctor/lawyer/accountant etc: · He's studying to be a lawyer.· Dad thinks I should study to be a doctor, but I'm not interested in medicine.study for a test/diploma/an examination: · "Is Ian coming with us?" "He can't - he's studying for his exams."· Alan hardly studied for the test, but he still passed.
to learn the skills and get the experience that you need in order to do a job: · Chris trained at an airbase in Honduras. train to be a hairdresser/teacher/pilot/nurse etc: · Julie is training to be a nurse.· Her husband trained to be an auto mechanic, but he can't find a job.train for a job/career/occupation: · Melanie trained for a career in music, but switched to photography in her early thirties.· We want to encourage people who left school early to train for better jobs.
informal to learn something easily, without making much effort or having lessons: pick up something: · I picked up a few words of Turkish when I was in Istanbul.pick something up: · The rules are really easy - you'll pick them up.· Roy's a bright little boy, and he picks things up really quickly.
spoken to learn how to do something that is fairly complicated: · Using the software isn't difficult once you get the hang of it.· It took me ages to get the hang of using chopsticks.· That's it. You're getting the hang of it now.
to learn a skill or a language completely so that you have no difficulty with it: · It takes years to master the art of weaving.· She soon got to know the local customs and eventually mastered the language.· Children have usually mastered the concepts of weight and length by the age of 8.
also familiarise British to learn about a subject, or how to do something, especially by reading books, notices, instructions etc, because you know you are going to need this knowledge in the future: · She prepared for the interview by familiarizing herself with all aspects of the company's work.· You must familiarize yourself with the evacuation procedure in case of a fire.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY I never quite mastered the art of walking in high heels.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES He wrote his doctoral thesis on contemporary French literature. the undisputed world heavyweight championCOLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB
I never quite mastered the art of walking in high heels. (=the biggest bedroom in a house)· The master bedroom has a view of the sea.
(=a very skilled player)· An eight year-old who can beat a chess master is remarkable.
(=the highest title a chess player can get)· Bobby Fischer was an American chess grand master.
(=a higher degree for which you study for one or two years)· She's taking her master's degree.
(=succeed in learning a language well)· She had had a long struggle to master the Russian language.
(=a detailed plan for dealing with a complicated situation)· The governors came up with a master plan for saving the school.
(=learn it so that your skill is very good)· Many of these children have not mastered basic academic skills.
He wrote his doctoral thesis on contemporary French literature. the undisputed world heavyweight champion· In the air he never mastered the throttle setting, so that he either fell behind of pulled ahead.· She is afraid of the bathtub and has never mastered the art of taking a shower.· I never mastered Snakes and Ladders.· He was timing the ball well and doing what I could never master when I played: he was hitting proper cover-drives.· It appeared to me that the only thing he had never mastered was paper hanging.
NOUN· I also have never wanted to master the art of stiletto-wearing.· It strikes me that Tommy has already mastered the art of being a toady.· Loved for his big glasses and silly grin, he mastered the art of playing guitar while walking in circles.· If you value your trees, you will take pains to master this art.· She is afraid of the bathtub and has never mastered the art of taking a shower.· Hence his reluctance to start painting before he had mastered the incredibly difficult art of drawing - and drawing the figure especially.· Once you master the arts of reflection, understanding, and resolution, perspective and point of view will follow.
· By the afternoon, most have mastered the basics and become competitive, usually leading to a race home.
· Of course the primary years mark a time when children must master language.· This approach can take many months, sometimes years, for a child to master.· Let us suppose, now, that the child has mastered the correct us of like and dislike.· But parents should realize that even when it takes years, the child has mastered a lifelong coping capacity.· Only when children have mastered the sentence do they move on to the paragraph.· At 2 years of age, children begin to master spoken language, a system of arbitrary signs.· By and large, children master the use of the language fairly quickly.· All abstract, intellectual concepts that children will master at later ages are based on concepts they learn in their early relationships.
· I haven't attempted to master its intricacies yet, but no doubt we shall both acquire some sort of proficiency in time.· Five mornings a week she worked on campus, mastering the intricacies of various software programs.· Spens' determination to master the intricacy of the law undoubtedly contributed to his strain.· The defenders are able to say that the challengers of the conventional wisdom have not mastered their intricacies.· Still, the popularity of the sport has made most competitions much better as more nations begin mastering its intricacies.
· There was no language he could not master, no prize he could not win.· Humanities scholars learned how to write their own programs, as programming languages became easier to master.· It is appropriate to set out additional vocational or practical skills training you have undertaken, and any languages you have mastered.
· Lion cubs too play games that help them master the skills that will be essential for their success in later life.· Thus, Joe can increase his base pay by mastering more skill levels.· They're just mastering the basic skills of walking and talking, which open up a whole new world for them.· Along the way, she had mastered many skills and helped rear our son until he left home for college.· By practising the skill we show the subconscious what is involved and allow it to acquire the ability to master the skill.· You can master a new skill, find some one new to love, have an adventure....· In S6 it is also often possible to accommodate beginners or people mastering specialist skills.· The key is for each person to find the best method for him or her to master new skills.
· He was very bright and was never satisfied until he had mastered any subject he studied.· Take pains to present a smart, efficient appearance and to show that you are beginning to master your subject.
· Subsequent chapters are devoted to mastering various techniques and manoeuvres.· A flexible approach and the ability to master new techniques quickly is essential and research experience would be an advantage.· Because of the present-day search for virtuosity many dancers can attempt such roles after they have mastered its technique.· Taekwondo, unlike karate, stipulates that beginners must master all the basic techniques before attempting to practise the patterns.· Once you've mastered the technique, trays of brandy snaps can be baked in quick rotation.· One of the great names in the new physical astronomy was Norman Lockyer, who rapidly mastered the techniques of spectrum analysis.
VERB· Lion cubs too play games that help them master the skills that will be essential for their success in later life.· They saw the training programs as especially useful in helping them master the administrative aspects of the new position.· The documentation is comprehensive and should help you master the more technical aspects of the program.· Having pinpointed a problem, then you make drills to help you master it.
· The clean, neat cuts were delivered with a skill Terry would never learn to master.· How a boy learns to express and master his aggressiveness is important in the growth of his sense of self-worth.· They are used in learning vocabulary as well as for mastering grammatical structure.· We learned law by mastering a framework for further understanding of the legal process.· Through play children act out in miniature the adult dramas of life and learn how to master new situations.
· The prospect of being in them while trying to master this beast is all too much.· The attraction now is just trying to master the sport.· Even Charlemagne, in trying to master the continent, recognized the need to respect its diversity.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1to learn a skill or a language so well that you have no difficulty with it: - He was a hard master and a dangerous enemy.
- She was a hard taskmaster but a considerably fairer one than la Belle Ethel.
- The summer is a hard master.
- True to his word, he schooled her in horsemanship and was a hard taskmaster.
- Could he bear to see them wired-made vulnerable to the least whim of their lords and masters?
- In the rustic humour there were opportunities for poking fun at lords and masters and oppressive authority, both civil and military.
- Meanwhile our lord and master would sit and drink one cup of tea after another, barking orders from time to time.
the skills needed to master a new language I never quite mastered the art of walking in high heels.► see thesaurus at learn2to manage to control a strong emotion SYN overcome: He had learned to master his fear of heights.master1 nounmaster2 verbmaster3 adjective
mastermaster3 adjective [only before noun] EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- All the information is gathered in the master file.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY We’ve lost the master disk.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES He wrote his doctoral thesis on contemporary French literature. the undisputed world heavyweight champion
We’ve lost the master disk. (=the biggest bedroom in a house)· The master bedroom has a view of the sea.
(=a very skilled player)· An eight year-old who can beat a chess master is remarkable.
(=the highest title a chess player can get)· Bobby Fischer was an American chess grand master.
(=a higher degree for which you study for one or two years)· She's taking her master's degree.
(=succeed in learning a language well)· She had had a long struggle to master the Russian language.
(=a detailed plan for dealing with a complicated situation)· The governors came up with a master plan for saving the school.
(=learn it so that your skill is very good)· Many of these children have not mastered basic academic skills.
He wrote his doctoral thesis on contemporary French literature. the undisputed world heavyweight championPHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1a master copy of a document, recording etc is the one from which copies are mademaster list/copy/recording etc- A society of master chefs was formed to achieve professional status similar to that of doctors or lawyers for its members.
- Better-heeled artificers must almost certainly have been master craftsmen employing labour themselves.
- Here passengers ate delicacies prepared by a master chef under an arched ceiling of embossed leather and oil paintings.
- His problem was solved by Bill Bird, a master craftsman, based at Blockley in Gloucestershire.
- I., will resume its master chefs series in the autumn.
- Some became apprentices who worked beside a master craftsman to become competent in their field.
- The knight speaks for the landed interest, the merchant for international trade, and the capper for the working master craftsman.
- They work under the supervision of a Meister, a master craftsman who also is a skilled teacher.
- He was a hard master and a dangerous enemy.
- She was a hard taskmaster but a considerably fairer one than la Belle Ethel.
- The summer is a hard master.
- True to his word, he schooled her in horsemanship and was a hard taskmaster.
- Could he bear to see them wired-made vulnerable to the least whim of their lords and masters?
- In the rustic humour there were opportunities for poking fun at lords and masters and oppressive authority, both civil and military.
- Meanwhile our lord and master would sit and drink one cup of tea after another, barking orders from time to time.
We’ve lost the master disk.2most important or main: the master control center at NASA3 master craftsman/chef/plumber etc someone who is very skilled at a particular job, especially a job that involves working with your hands: a society of master chefs- National Enquirer, The
- National Exhibition Centre
- National Express
- National Farmers Union
- National Film Theatre
- National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities
- National Front
- National Gallery
- National Gallery of Art
- National Geographic, The
- National Grid
- National Guard
- National Guardsman
- National Health Service
- National Insurance
- National Insurance Number
- nationalise
- nationalism
- nationalist
- nationalistic
- nationality
- nationalization
- nationalize
- National Labor Relations Board
- National Lampoon