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mastery

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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    From Middle English maistery, maistrie, mastere, mastry, from Old French maistrie, equivalent to master +‎ -y.

    Pronunciation

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    Noun

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    mastery (usually uncountable, plural masteries)

    1. The position or authority of a master; dominion; command; supremacy; superiority.
      • c. 1610, Sir Walter Raleigh, The Misery of Invasive War:
        If divided by mountains, they will fight for the mastery of the passages of the tops.
      • 1892, James Yoxall, chapter 5, in The Lonely Pyramid:
        The desert storm was riding in its strength; the travellers lay beneath the mastery of the fell simoom. Whirling wreaths and columns of burning wind, rushed around and over them.
    2. Superiority in war or competition; victory; triumph; preeminence.
    3. The act or process of mastering; the state of having mastered; expertise.
      • 1664, John Tillotson, “Sermon I. The Wisdom of Being Religious. Job XXVIII. 28.”, in The Works of the Most Reverend Dr. John Tillotson, Late Lord Archbishop of Canterbury: […], London: […] B. Aylmer, […]; [a]nd W. Rogers, […], published 1696, →OCLC:
        He […] could attain to a mastery in all languages.
      • 1693, [John Locke], “§173”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], →OCLC:
        The learning and mastery of a tongue, being unpleasant in itself, should not be cumbered with other difficulties.
      • 1941 November, Cecil J. Allen, “British Locomotive Practice and Performance”, in Railway Magazine, page 484:
        At Tebay however, he began to get the mastery over these untoward conditions, and actually got back a little time up to Shap, after which all was plain sailing.
    4. (obsolete) A contest for superiority.
      • 1623, John Speed, The Historie of Great Britain Under the Conquests of the Romans, Saxons, Danes and Normans, page 596:
        […] pastimes of wrestling, and like maſteries betweene the Citizens of London and others of the Suburbes […]
      • 1936, John Clayton, The Anger of the North, page 69:
        Rury has given the word for some rare sport — a bout of games and masteries between me and Marcos Serkman to prove which is the better man.
      • 1929, Delphian Society, “Delphian Text”, in Paolo and Francesca, volume 7, page 441:
        Come, Paolo, we two have never held / A mastery between us — tell me out!
    5. (obsolete) A masterly operation; a feat.
      • 1516, Robert Fabyan, New cronycles of Englande and of Fraunce:
        Ye welsh men..brake out vpon the Englysshe men in ye Bordour..and there made masteryes for a whyle.
      • 1546, John Bale, The actes of Englysh votaryes:
        That ye maye knowe..what masteryes they haue played.
      • 1592, Angell Day, The English secretorie:
        By a number of odde speeches..you doo yet suppose to haue wrought a mastery.
      • 1905, John Stephen Farmer, “Thersites”, in Six Anonymous Plays, page 212:
        Why, thou cowardly knave, no stronger than a duck, Darest thou try masteries with me a-pluck.
      • 1909, Selwyn Image, “The Serious Art of Thomas Rowlandson”, in The Burlington Magazine, volume 14, page 12:
        To accomplish this is a great mastery, a rare mastery: but it is an accomplishment that seems to have been Rowlandson's easily whenever he would.
      • 1910, John Merrill Davis, Striving for Masteries and Other Baccalaureate Sermons, page 5:
        And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned except he strive lawfully.
    6. (obsolete) (Can we verify(+) this sense?) The philosopher's stone.

    Derived terms

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    Translations

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    References

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    Anagrams

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