masters
masters — noun
- masterssingular
- mastersesplural
1. the people an animal belongs to and obeys.
the people an animal belongs to and obeys.
The two dogs ran back to their masters when the storm began.
return to their masters = go back to owners
At feeding time, the horses pushed toward their masters at the gate.
animals moving toward owners in a concrete scene
Guide dogs learn to stop and wait for their masters at curbs.
The parrots grew quiet as soon as their masters entered the room.
文法句型
their masters
return to their masters
wait for their masters
用法筆記
Used for the people an animal lives with or takes commands from. Unlike sense 2, this sense is about pets or working animals, not social power over servants or slaves.
常見錯誤
2. people who employ servants or hold power over enslaved people.
people who employ servants or hold power over enslaved people.
In the novel, the servants feared their masters' sudden calls.
servants and their masters in a historical setting
The old records list the names of masters beside each servant.
historical document context
The film shows how cruel masters controlled life on the plantation.
Runaway families hid in the hills to escape their masters.
- servants
the people under their authority in household settings.
文法句型
servants and their masters
escape their masters
answer their masters
用法筆記
This sense is mainly historical or literary. It appears in writing about servants, slavery, and strongly unequal social systems, not in everyday modern employment.
3. people who are fully in charge of a situation or of their own reactions.
people who are fully in charge of a situation or of their own reactions.
After months of training, the climbers were masters of their fear.
be masters of + emotion
Noor and Yumi became masters of the crowded kitchen by noon.
become masters of + place or situation
Good traders stay calm because they are masters of their emotions.
By the final round, the home team looked like masters of the game.
- controllers
focuses on actively directing events or systems.
- rulers
usually about authority over people or land, not emotions.
- victims
people affected by events rather than controlling them.
文法句型
be masters of something
be masters of their emotions
be masters of the situation
用法筆記
Often appears in the pattern 'masters of ...'. Distinguish from sense 5 — this sense is about command or self-control, while sense 5 is about great skill.
常見錯誤
4. the licensed captains who command merchant ships.
the licensed captains who command merchant ships.
The harbor office called the masters in for a storm warning.
harbor office + masters in shipping context
Experienced masters know every sandbank along that narrow river mouth.
specialized knowledge of a shipping route
The insurance meeting brought thirty masters and cargo agents to Busan.
Radio reports helped the masters guide their ships through the fog.
文法句型
merchant-ship masters
the masters of the ships
call the masters in
用法筆記
This is a formal shipping term, especially for merchant vessels. In everyday conversation, people usually say 'captains' instead.
5. people with such complete skill in a craft, sport, or subject that others learn
people with such complete skill in a craft, sport, or subject that others learn from them.
Young chefs watched the sushi masters shape rice with quiet precision.
masters = highly skilled practitioners
At the chess club, the masters solved the endgame in seconds.
chess masters
These repair manuals were written by masters who know every engine sound.
During the workshop, two glass masters showed Bao how to shape hot glass.
文法句型
masters of + craft
chess masters
glass masters
用法筆記
Often followed by 'of' plus the field, or by a noun naming the activity. Distinguish from sense 3 — sense 5 is about excellence, not about control over events.
常見錯誤
6. the famous painters of earlier times whose work is still widely admired.
the famous painters of earlier times whose work is still widely admired.
The museum's top floor is devoted to the Italian masters.
nationality + masters for famous painters
Élise spent an hour sketching details from the Dutch masters.
the Dutch masters
The guide explained how the Spanish masters used shadow in portraits.
Collectors still pay huge sums for paintings by the old masters.
- masters of painting
descriptive phrase stressing their artistic rank.
- great painters
broader and more general than this specialized art-history use.
文法句型
the Dutch masters
the old masters
paintings by the masters
用法筆記
Often appears with a nationality or with the phrase 'the old masters'. It refers especially to painters whose works are treated as classics.
7. male teachers at some older British schools.
male teachers at some older British schools.
At the old boarding school, the masters still wore gowns for assembly.
traditional British school setting
The masters checked the dormitory doors before the winter storm arrived.
masters = teachers in a boarding school
After supper, the masters supervised quiet study in the long hall.
Several masters coached the rowing team on the river every dawn.
- schoolmasters
the fuller traditional term for male teachers.
- teachers
the modern general word, without the same historical flavor.
文法句型
the masters at the school
the masters wore gowns
the masters supervised study
用法筆記
This is chiefly older British school language. Modern schools usually say 'teachers', and the gender restriction is part of the traditional usage.
8. the people in charge of some British schools and some university colleges.
the people in charge of some British schools and some university colleges.
The masters from five colleges met in Oxford to discuss admissions.
masters from colleges in British academic context
During the ceremony, the masters walked into the hall in black gowns.
formal ceremonial role of college heads
The letter was signed by the masters and the senior tutors.
Parents wrote to the masters after the school changed its boarding rules.
- principals
modern general word for school heads, but not the same specific title.
- wardens
used at some colleges, though it names a different formal title.
文法句型
the masters of the colleges
the masters met
write to the masters
用法筆記
This is a British institutional title for certain school or college heads. It is not the ordinary word for any school principal.
9. the original recordings, films, or files from which later copies are made.
the original recordings, films, or files from which later copies are made.
The studio locked the masters in a metal cabinet after the session.
masters = original recordings kept safely
When the flood hit, the band rushed upstairs with the masters.
protecting the masters from damage
The label restored the old masters before pressing the new vinyl.
Without the masters, the documentary could only be copied at low quality.
- originals
general word for source versions, less technical than this sense.
- source files
common in digital work, though not always the formal archival original.
- copies
later versions made from the original source.
文法句型
store the masters
restore the masters
lose the masters
用法筆記
Common in music, film, and publishing work. The word points to the source version that later copies depend on, not just any earlier draft.
masters — verb
- masterspresent simple I / you / we / they
- masterses3rd person singular
- mastersing-ing form
- mastersedpast simple
1. if someone masters an emotion, fear, or pain, they learn to keep it under contro
if someone masters an emotion, fear, or pain, they learn to keep it under control.
Abigail mastered her anger before answering the rude customer.
master + emotion
The actor mastered his nerves and walked calmly onto the stage.
master + nerves before performing
After a deep breath, Eli mastered his panic and opened the door.
Yumi mastered her disappointment long enough to congratulate the winner.
- lose
as in 'lose control', the opposite of keeping a feeling in check.
文法句型
master + fear / anger / panic
master + disappointment
master + nerves
用法筆記
The object is usually a feeling, fear, pain, or another inner reaction. Distinguish from sense 2, where the object is a skill or subject that someone learns well.
2. if someone masters a skill or subject, they learn it so well that they can use i
if someone masters a skill or subject, they learn it so well that they can use it confidently.
Ritu mastered the new billing system within a single week.
master + system
By spring, the children had mastered simple songs on the recorder.
master + practical performance skill
Christopher mastered enough Japanese to guide visitors around Kyoto.
After months of practice, Bao mastered the jump without falling.
- struggle with
to have difficulty using or understanding something.
文法句型
master + skill / subject
master enough + noun + to-infinitive
master + system
用法筆記
The object is usually a language, school subject, tool, technique, or physical move. It suggests full working command, not just basic familiarity.