Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Mister

Mis′ter

,
Noun.
[See
Master
, and cf.
Mistress
.]
A title of courtesy prefixed to the name of a man or youth. It is usually written in the abbreviated form
Mr.
To call your name, inquire your where,
Or what you think of
Mister
Some-one’s book,
Or
Mister
Other's marriage or decease.
Mrs. Browning.

Mis′ter

,
Verb.
T.
To address or mention by the title Mr.;
as, he
mistered
me in a formal way
.
[Colloq.]

Mis′ter

,
Noun.
[OF.
mistier
trade, office, ministry, need, F.
métier
trade, fr. L.
ministerium
service, office, ministry. See
Ministry
,
Mystery
trade.]
[Written also
mester
.]
1.
A trade, art, or occupation.
[Obs.]
In youth he learned had a good
mester
.
Chaucer.
2.
Manner; kind; sort.
[Obs.]
Spenser.
But telleth me what
mester
men ye be.
Chaucer.
3.
Need; necessity.
[Obs.]
Rom. of R.

Mis′ter

,
Verb.
I.
To be needful or of use.
[Obs.]
As for my name, it
mistereth
not to tell.
Spenser.

Webster 1828 Edition


Mister

MIS'TER

,
Noun.
The common title of address to gentlemen, and to men of all classes. In writing, it is expressed by the abbreviation Mr.

MIS'TER

,
Verb.
T.
To occasion loss. [Not in use.]

Definition 2024


Mister

Mister

See also: mister and míster

English

Noun

Mister (plural Misters)

  1. General title or respect of an adult male.
    This is Mister Smith, assistant to the President.
  2. Official title of a military man, usually anyone below rank of captain.
  3. Official form of address of a president of a nation; Mister President.
  4. Formal address to any official of an organization; Mister Secretary, Mister Treasurer, Mister Attorney, Mister Justice.
  5. A warrant officer or cadet in the United States Military Academy at West Point.
  6. An informal title used before a nickname or other moniker:
    Mister Suave; Mister Baseball

Synonyms

Coordinate terms

Anagrams

mister

mister

See also: Mister and míster

English

Noun

mister (plural misters)

  1. A title conferred on an adult male, usually when the name is unknown. Also (often parent to young child) referring to a man whose name is unknown.
    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.
  2. Said in a disapproving tone, a title referring to a man in the middle of a scolding or an argument, or to a boy who has done something wrong.
    • 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!
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 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

  1. David Wallace, Chaucerian polity: absolutist lineages and associational forms in England and Italy, Stanford University Press, 1997

Anagrams


Danish

Verb

mister

  1. present tense of miste

Italian

Etymology

Borrowing from English mister.

Noun

mister m (invariable)

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

Anagrams


Latvian

Noun

mister m

  1. vocative singular of misters

Norwegian Bokmål

Verb

mister

  1. present tense of miste

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, from Latin ministerium (employment).

Pronunciation

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

Alternative forms

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

Etymology 2

Noun

mister m (plural misters)

  1. Alternative form of míster

Swedish

Verb

mister

  1. present tense of mista.