maîtresse

mistress

noun meh-TRES Less Common

Origin: feminine of maître, Latin magistra

Also means

schoolmistress, female teacher (informal)

Usage Note

Maîtresse is the feminine of maître and carries two main meanings: a woman who has a romantic affair with a married man, and (in informal French) a primary school teacher (la maîtresse = the (female) teacher). The formal term for a female teacher is une institutrice or une professeure. Context always disambiguates.

Examples

"Les enfants adoraient leur maîtresse d'école."

Natural Translation

The children adored their schoolmistress.

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