Maestra

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. a female master or expert in a particular art, skill, or field
2. a woman who is highly skilled or authoritative in music, dance, or another discipline
3. a female maestro or accomplished practitioner commanding mastery over her chosen domain

Etymology: "Maestra" is the feminine form of the Italian "maestro," meaning "master" or "teacher," and it reached English through that Italian route. The masculine "maestro" descends from Latin "magister," which gave English "master" as well, so the two words are close cousins that took different paths into the language. The word was borrowed directly from Italian, where it retains its gendered ending. English speakers originally used "maestro" for a respected male musician, and the feminine "maestra" was adopted to refer to a woman holding the same rank. Because the Italian ending marks gender, the word carries a built-in distinction that English usually does not express with suffixes, which is why it stands out so clearly as a title for a female expert.

Synonyms: female master, teacher, instructor, conductress