To treat as a mistress; to take as a mistress; or to dominate as a mistress would.
From 'be-' prefix plus 'mistress,' from Old French 'maistresse,' from Latin 'magistra' (female master). The 'be-' prefix makes it a verb, though this is an extremely rare usage.
This word barely appears in historical records, but its existence shows how productively English could create verbs from any noun using 'be-'—even romantic or relationship terms, however awkwardly.
The suffix '-ess' feminizes nouns, historically used to mark women as derivative or secondary versions of male roles. 'Mistress' itself carries gendered baggage beyond formal usage.
Use 'mistress' or the equivalent substantive role title (e.g., 'master of ceremonies') without gendered suffix marking.
["master","principal","head"]
The '-ess' suffix often relegated women to diminished status; reclaiming these terms without diminishment honors women in leadership roles historically marked as exceptional.
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