Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. Informal The mistress of a household.
- n. Informal Used as a term of reference by a man of his wife.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. Mistress: a contracted form in colloquial or provincial use. The word thus contracted is spelled out chiefly in representations of vulgar speech; but as a title it is in universal spoken use in the form *missess or rather misses (mis′ ez), and is almost invariably written Mrs. See mistress.
- n. A wife.
Wiktionary
- n. alternative spelling of missus.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. A mistress; a wife; -- so used by the illiterate.
WordNet 3.0
- n. informal term of address for someone's wife
Etymologies
- Alteration of mistress.
Examples
“If Grover wasn't so stand-offish, we might tell her about it, and she could tell the Saint -- that's what we call the missis; the Saint would soon put a stop to all that nonsense.”
“Good-mornin ', missis; and why are you sittin' out thar, when thar is such a nice cabin to be in?”
“He called the missis, and they got her into the kitchen and gave her a cup of tea and put her to bed, and she'll never get up again, it seems.”
“That's the missis, that is," said Mr. Mardon, in a lower and semi-confidential voice.”
“Can't you see that we're both Pups in the Wood and the missis is the cruel uncle after you with the dish towel and me with the flea liniment and a pink bow to tie on my tail.”
“She was very glad they were good to-night, because, as "missis" was away, she had made up her mind to go to a party herself, the house-maid having promised to run up to the nursery if she heard the children calling.”
Harper's Young People, November 4, 1879 An Illustrated Weekly
“He implored me to beg "missis" to forgive him, and I couldn't help taking his part, though”
“Very likely she found it embarrassing to be called the "missis," and this was why she could neither eat last night nor stay here today.”
“The girl who had come down the stairs with the message from the "missis" was no servant, but Eilert's young wife.”
“The master could not do much; he had long, long hours in his business; but I used to watch Ursula, morning after morning, superintending her domain, with her faithful attendant Jem – Jem adored his "missis".”
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