Webster's English Dictionary

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master

1. mas.ter \'mas-t*r\ n [ME, fr. OE magister & OF maistre, both fr. L 
   magister; akin]to L magnus great - more at MUCH 1a1: a male teacher  1a2: a 
   person holding an academic degree higher than a bachelor's but lower  than 
   a doctor's often cap  1b: a revered religious leader  1c: a workman 
   qualified to teach apprentices  1d: an artist or performer of consummate 
   skill  2a: one having authority over another : RULER, GOVERNOR  2b: VICTOR, 
   SUPERIOR  2c: a person licensed to command a merchant ship  2d1: one having 
   control  2d2: an owner esp. of a slave or animal  2e: EMPLOYER  dial  2f1: 
   HUSBAND  2f2: the male head of a household  archaic  3a1: MISTER  3a2: a 
   youth or boy too young to be called mister - used as a title  3b: the 
   eldest son of a Scottish viscount or baron  4a: a presiding officer in an 
   institution or society (as a college)  4b: any of several officers of court 
   appointed to assist (as by hearing and  reporting) a judge 5a: a master 
   mechanism or device  5b: a master phonograph record 
2. master \-t(*-)rin\ vt or mas.ter.ing 1: to become master of : OVERCOME  
   2a: to become skilled or proficient in the use of  2b: to gain a thorough 
   understanding of 
3. master aj : being or relating to a master : as  : DOMINANT  : SKILLED, 
   PROFICIENT  : PRINCIPAL, PREDOMINANT  : SUPERLATIVE  : being a device or 
   mechanism that controls the operation of another mec hanism or that 
   establishes a standard (as a dimension or weight) : being a phonograph disc 
   record from which duplicates are made