past master
a person who is thoroughly experienced or exceptionally skilled in a profession, art, etc.: a past master at chess.
a person who has held the office of master in a guild, lodge, etc.
Origin of past master
1Words Nearby past master
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use past master in a sentence
I dared not trust myself to the seduction of his manner and voice—he was a past-master in the art of making love.
Ancestors | Gertrude AthertonAmong the fraternity “The American” was known as a clever crook, a man who was a past-master in the art of bluff.
The White Lie | William Le QueuxAs for his production of the play, it showed the old skill of a Past-Master of Pageantry.
No––neither was she like Lola of the Golden Cloud, past-master of men because she had belonged to many.
Tharon of Lost Valley | Vingie E. RoeOne soldier in particular was past-master in making savoury stews much appreciated by the others.
A Wayfarer in China | Elizabeth Kendall
British Dictionary definitions for past master
a person with talent for, or experience in, a particular activity: a past master of tact
a person who has held the office of master in a Freemasons' lodge, guild, etc
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with past master
A person who is thoroughly experienced or exceptionally skilled in some activity or craft. For example, We're lucky to get Ella, because she's a past master at fundraising. This expression probably alludes to the original literal meaning, that is, one who formerly held the post of master in a lodge or other organization. Although past mistress was used for an exceptionally skilled woman in the mid-1800s, it is heard less often today, master serving for both sexes. [Mid-1800s]
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Browse