Third person singular present of miss; fails to hit, reach, or come into contact with something
From Old English missan meaning to fail to hit or reach, from Proto-Germanic missjan
Interestingly, 'miss' as a title for unmarried women comes from 'mistress,' while the verb 'miss' comes from a completely different root about failing to hit targets. Same spelling, totally different origins!
"Miss" as a title historically marked unmarried women as socially incomplete or available, encoding a woman's value through marital status in ways parallel titles did not for men (Mr. remained constant regardless of marital status).
Use Ms. as a professional default for women, or ask individuals their preferred title; avoid assuming marital status carries professional relevance.
["Ms.","their name without title"]
The adoption of Ms. as a title in the 1950s-70s was a feminist innovation to grant women the same title flexibility men enjoy, credited to writers like Gloria Steinem.
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