<p><strong>Noun</strong></p><ul><li>a person with the ability or power to use, control, or dispose of something: a master of six languages; to be master of one's fate.</li><li>an owner of enslaved people, in the institution of chattel slavery; a slaveholder: Antebellum laws and codes in the South restricted the circumstances under which masters could free African Americans from slavery.</li><li>an owner of a pet or other animal: The dog waited at the end of the lane every evening to greet his master coming home.</li><li>Older Use: the male head of a household: As the oldest son, he felt a lot of pressure to act as the master of the house after his father’s passing.</li><li>Older Use: an employer of workers or servants: The valet unpacked his master’s luggage prior to his arrival.</li><li>sometimes Master: the dominant sexual partner in a BDSM relationship of unequal power.</li><li>a person eminently skilled in something, as an occupation, art, or science: the great masters of the Impressionist period.</li><li>a person whose teachings others accept or follow: a Zen master.</li><li>Chiefly British: a male teacher or schoolmaster.</li><li>a worker qualified to teach apprentices and to carry on a trade independently.</li><li>a title given to a bridge or chess player who has won or placed in a certain number of officially recognized tournaments.</li><li>a person holding this title.</li><li>Also called mas·ter mar·i·ner: a person who commands a merchant ship; captain.</li><li>a victor or conqueror.</li><li>a presiding officer.</li><li>an officer of the court to whom some or all of the issues in a case may be referred for the purpose of taking testimony and making a report to the court.</li><li>the Master: Christianity: Jesus Christ.</li><li>a person who has been awarded a master's degree.</li><li>a boy or young man (used chiefly as a term of address).</li><li>Also called matrix: an original document, drawing, manuscript, etc., from which copies are made.</li><li>Machinery, Computers: a device or process that controls another device or process operating in a similar way.</li><li>Compare slave (def 5).</li><li>Recording: matrix (def 14).</li><li>an audio disk or tape from which duplicates may be made.</li><li>Computers: an original data file or disk from which duplicates may be made.</li><li>Also called cop·y neg·a·tive: a film, usually a negative, used primarily for making large quantities of prints.</li><li>master of foxhounds: a work of art produced by a master.</li></ul><p><strong>Adjective</strong></p><ul><li>being master; exercising mastery; dominant.</li><li>chief or principal: a master list.</li><li>directing or controlling: a master switch.</li><li>Synonyms: cardinal, prime, primary, leading, main.</li><li>of or relating to a master from which duplicates are made: a master recording; the master copy of a piece of software.</li><li>The master film had been misfiled in the archives.</li><li>dominating or predominant: a master play.</li><li>being a master of some occupation, art, etc.; eminently skilled: a master diplomat; a master pianist.</li><li>being a master carrying on one's trade independently, rather than a worker employed by another: a master plumber.</li><li>characteristic of a master; showing expert skill, ability, or knowledge: The chosen design was a master achievement that still amazes architects, engineers, and scientists today.</li><li>Synonyms: skillful, expert, adept.</li></ul><p><strong>Verb</strong></p><ul><li>(used with object) to make oneself master of; become an adept in: to master a language.</li><li>to conquer or overcome: to master one's pride.</li><li>Synonyms: control, subdue.</li><li>to rule or direct as master: to master a crew.</li><li>Synonyms: manage, govern.</li><li>Recording: to produce a master audio file, disk, phonograph record, or tape of: The producer recorded, mixed, and mastered the new album.</li></ul>