† maistrice Chiefly Sc. Obs.
Forms: 4–5 mastrice, -is, mais-, maystries, -yes, -yse, 5–6 mastres, 4–6 maistres, 5–6 maistrice, 7 maisteresse.
[a. OF. maistrise (mod.F. maîtrise), f. maître master. In 16–17th c. confused with the pl. of mastery, q.v.]
= mastery in various senses; superiority, superior force or skill; a deed of might or skill, a feat. to make maistrice: to display one's power or skill.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 14611 Quar es nu..þis prophete..Nu sal he sceu vs his maistris. 13.. K. Alis. 5591 By maistres, be werres he conquerde. 1375 Barbour Bruce iv. 524 And it, that ouris suld be of richt, Throu thair mastrice thai occupy. Ibid. vi. 566 The hund did than sa gret mastris, That he [etc.]. a 1400 Pistill of Susan 227 He was..More miȝti mon þen we his Maistris to Make. c 1400 Sowdone Bab. 3117 Lenger durste thay no maystryes make, Thai were so sore agaste. c 1400 Rom. Rose 4172 And eek amidde this purpryse Was maad a tour of gret maistryse. a 1400–50 Alexander 333 Þe renke..Gase him doune..Furthe to make his maistryse and mose in his arte. c 1460 Towneley Myst. xxv. 232 Tell me in this tyde what mastres thou makys here. c 1470 Henry Wallace x. 696 Quhat Sotheroun thai ourtak Contrar the Scottis com neuir maistrice to mak. 1526 Tindale 1 Cor. ix. 25 Every man that proveth mastres abstaineth from all thynges. c 1560 A. Scott Poems (S.T.S.) vi. 8 So luve garris sober wemen small Get maistrice our grit men of gud. 1680 Aubrey in Lett. Emin. Persons (1813) III. 566 Notwithstanding his great witt and maisteresse in rhetorique etc. he will oftentimes be guilty of mispelling in English. |