mistressship

See also: mistress-ship

English

Alternative forms

• mistress-ship

Etymology

From mistress +‎ -ship.

Noun

mistressship (usually uncountable, plural mistressships)

1. (obsolete) Female rule or dominion.
2. (obsolete) ladyship; a style of address, used with the personal pronoun.
   • 1632, Philip Massinger, “The City Madam”, in William Gifford, editor, The Plays of Philip Massinger‎^[1], published 1845, act 4, scene 4, page 400:

     Your father was / An honest country farmer, goodman Humble. / By his neighbours ne'er call'd Master. Did your pride / Descend from him? but let that pass: your fortune, / Or rather your hunsband's industry, advanced you / To the rank of a merchant's wife. He made a knight, / And your sweet mistress-ship ladyfied,

References

• “mistressship”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.