mastery

• masterie (obsolete)

From Middle English maistery, maistrie, mastere, mastry, from Old French maistrie, equivalent to master +‎ -y.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈmɑːs.t(ə.)ɹi/

  • Audio (UK):

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• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈmæs.tɚ.i/

mastery (usually uncountable, plural masteries)

1. The position or authority of a master; dominion; command; supremacy; superiority.
   • c. 1610, Sir Walter Raleigh, The Misery of Invasive War:

     If divided by mountains, they will fight for the mastery of the passages of the tops.

   • 1892, James Yoxall, chapter 5, in The Lonely Pyramid:

     The desert storm was riding in its strength; the travellers lay beneath the mastery of the fell simoom. Whirling wreaths and columns of burning wind, rushed around and over them.

2. Superiority in war or competition; victory; triumph; preeminence.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto XII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 31, pages 370–371:

     They were faire Ladies, till they fondly ſtriu’d / With th’Heliconian maides for mayſtery; / Of whom they ouer-comen, were depriu’d / Of their proud beautie, and th’one moyity / Transform’d to fiſh, for their bold ſurquedry, / But th’vpper halfe their hew retayned ſtill, / And their ſweet skill in wonted melody; / Which euer after they abuſd to ill, / T’allure weake traueillers, whom gotten they did kill.

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus 32:xxxii–18:

     The voice of them that shout for mastery.

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Corinthians 9:–25:

     Every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things.

   • 1610 (first performance), Ben[jamin] Jonson, The Alchemist, London: […] Thomas Snodham, for Walter Burre, and are to be sold by Iohn Stepneth, […], published 1612, →OCLC; reprinted Menston, Yorkshire: The Scolar Press, 1970, →OCLC, (please specify the GB page), (please specify the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):

     O, but to ha' gulled him / Had been a mastery.

3. The act or process of mastering; the state of having mastered; expertise.
   • 1664, John Tillotson, “Sermon I. The Wisdom of Being Religious. Job XXVIII. 28.”, in The Works of the Most Reverend Dr. John Tillotson, Late Lord Archbishop of Canterbury: […], 8th edition, London: […] T. Goodwin, B[enjamin] Tooke, and J. Pemberton, […]; J. Round […], and J[acob] Tonson] […], published 1720, →OCLC:

     He […] could attain to a mastery in all languages.

   • 1693, [John Locke], “§173”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], →OCLC:

     The learning and mastery of a tongue, being unpleasant in itself, should not be cumbered with other difficulties.

   • 1941 November, Cecil J. Allen, “British Locomotive Practice and Performance”, in Railway Magazine, page 484:

     At Tebay however, he began to get the mastery over these untoward conditions, and actually got back a little time up to Shap, after which all was plain sailing.

4. (obsolete) A contest for superiority.
   • 1623, John Speed, The Historie of Great Britain Under the Conquests of the Romans, Saxons, Danes and Normans, page 596:

     […] pastimes of wrestling, and like maſteries betweene the Citizens of London and others of the Suburbes […]

   • 1936, John Clayton, The Anger of the North, page 69:

     Rury has given the word for some rare sport — a bout of games and masteries between me and Marcos Serkman to prove which is the better man.

   • 1929, Delphian Society, “Delphian Text”, in Paolo and Francesca, volume 7, page 441:

     Come, Paolo, we two have never held / A mastery between us — tell me out!

5. (obsolete) A masterly operation; a feat.
   • 1516, Robert Fabyan, New cronycles of Englande and of Fraunce:

     Ye welsh men..brake out vpon the Englysshe men in ye Bordour..and there made masteryes for a whyle.

   • 1546, John Bale, The actes of Englysh votaryes:

     That ye maye knowe..what masteryes they haue played.

   • 1592, Angell Day, The English secretorie:

     By a number of odde speeches..you doo yet suppose to haue wrought a mastery.

   • 1905, John Stephen Farmer, “Thersites”, in Six Anonymous Plays, page 212:

     Why, thou cowardly knave, no stronger than a duck, Darest thou try masteries with me a-pluck.

   • 1909, Selwyn Image, “The Serious Art of Thomas Rowlandson”, in The Burlington Magazine, volume 14, page 12:

     To accomplish this is a great mastery, a rare mastery: but it is an accomplishment that seems to have been Rowlandson's easily whenever he would.

   • 1910, John Merrill Davis, Striving for Masteries and Other Baccalaureate Sermons, page 5:

     And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned except he strive lawfully.

6. (obsolete) The philosopher's stone.

• master

• streamy