maestro

See also: Maestro

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian maestro, from Latin magistrum (“master”). Doublet of magister, master, and meister.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈmaɪstɹoʊ/, /maɪˈɛstɹoʊ/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ma‧es‧tro

Noun

maestro (plural maestros or maestri)

1. (chiefly music) A master in some art, especially a composer or conductor.
   • 1992, “Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang”, in Andre R. Young, Tracy Curry, Calvin Broadus, Leon Haywood (lyrics), Andre R. Young (music), The Chronic, performed by Dr. Dre (featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg), Death Row Records:

     You've never been on a ride like this before; with a producer who can rap and control the maestro.

2. (slang) A gang elder in prison.

Synonyms

• master

Derived terms

• maestrolike

Related terms

• maestra
• maestro di cappella
• magister
• magisterium
• magistra
• meister
• miss
• missus
• mister
• mistress
• Mr.
• Mrs.
• MS

Translations

master in some art

• Arabic: مُوسِيقَار m (mūsīqār)
• Armenian: մաեստրո (hy) (maestro)
• Dutch: maestro (nl) m
• Finnish: maestro (fi)
• German: Maestro (de) m (related to music), Meister (de) m (any skill)
• Indonesian: maestro (id)
• Italian: maestro (it) m, maestra (it) f
• Japanese: 巨匠 (ja) (kyoshō), マエストロ (ja) (maesutoro)
• Korean: 거장 (geojang)
• Polish: maestro (pl) m
• Portuguese: maestro (pt) m
• Romanian: maestru (ro) m, maestră (ro) f
• Russian: маэ́стро (ru) m (maéstro)
• Spanish: experto (es) m, profesional (es) m
• Swahili: manju
• Swedish: maestro (sv) c

Anagrams

• Masoret, Moretas, amorets, artsome, masoret, omertas, omertàs, roamest, tarsome

Cebuano

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish maestro.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: ma‧es‧tro
• IPA^(key): /maˈestɾo/ [mɐˈis̪.t̪ɾ̪o]

Noun

maéstro (feminine maestra, Badlit spelling ᜋᜁᜐ᜔ᜆ᜔ᜇᜓ)

1. a male teacher, professor, or faculty member
2. (derogatory) an advocate or promoter of something illegal or unethical

Verb

maéstro (Badlit spelling ᜋᜁᜐ᜔ᜆ᜔ᜇᜓ)

1. to be a teacher; to become a teacher; to study to become a teacher
2. (derogatory) to promote something illegal or unethical
3. (derogatory) to be an advocate or promoter of something illegal or unethical

Derived terms

• maestrohon
• magmaestro
• mamaestro

Central Bikol

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish maestro.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /maˈestɾo/ [maˈes.tɾo], /maˈʔestɾo/ [maˈʔes.tɾo]
• Hyphenation: ma‧es‧tro

Noun

maéstro (feminine maestra, Basahan spelling ᜋᜁᜐ᜔ᜆ᜔ᜍᜓ)

1. music conductor
2. professor, lecturer

   Synonym: propesor

3. (by extension) teacher

   Synonyms: paratukdo, paraturo

Chavacano

Etymology

Inherited from Spanish maestro (“teacher”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /maˈestɾo/, [maˈes̪.t̪ɾo]
• Hyphenation: ma‧es‧tro

Noun

maestro (feminine maestra)

1. teacher

Dutch

Alternative forms

• maëstro (superseded)

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian maestro. Doublet of meester and magister.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: maes‧tro

Noun

maestro m (plural maestro's, no diminutive)

1. maestro (master in some art, especially a composer or conductor)

Descendants

• → Indonesian: maestro

References

• van der Sijs, Nicoline, editor (2010), “maestro”, in Etymologiebank, Meertens Institute

Finnish

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian maestro.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɑestro/, [ˈmɑ̝e̞s̠.tro̞]
• Rhymes: -ɑestro
• Syllabification^(key): ma‧est‧ro
• Hyphenation^(key): ma‧est‧ro

Noun

maestro

1. maestro

Declension

Inflection of maestro (Kotus type 2/palvelu, no gradation)
nominative		maestro	maestrot
genitive		maestron	maestrojen maestroiden maestroitten
partitive		maestroa	maestroja maestroita
illative		maestroon	maestroihin
		singular	plural
nominative		maestro	maestrot
accusative	nom.	maestro	maestrot
	gen.	maestron
genitive		maestron	maestrojen maestroiden maestroitten
partitive		maestroa	maestroja maestroita
inessive		maestrossa	maestroissa
elative		maestrosta	maestroista
illative		maestroon	maestroihin
adessive		maestrolla	maestroilla
ablative		maestrolta	maestroilta
allative		maestrolle	maestroille
essive		maestrona	maestroina
translative		maestroksi	maestroiksi
abessive		maestrotta	maestroitta
instructive		—	maestroin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of maestro (Kotus type 2/palvelu, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative maestroni maestroni accusative nom. maestroni maestroni gen. maestroni genitive maestroni maestrojeni maestroideni maestroitteni partitive maestroani maestrojani maestroitani inessive maestrossani maestroissani elative maestrostani maestroistani illative maestrooni maestroihini adessive maestrollani maestroillani ablative maestroltani maestroiltani allative maestrolleni maestroilleni essive maestronani maestroinani translative maestrokseni maestroikseni abessive maestrottani maestroittani instructive — — comitative — maestroineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative maestrosi maestrosi accusative nom. maestrosi maestrosi gen. maestrosi genitive maestrosi maestrojesi maestroidesi maestroittesi partitive maestroasi maestrojasi maestroitasi inessive maestrossasi maestroissasi elative maestrostasi maestroistasi illative maestroosi maestroihisi adessive maestrollasi maestroillasi ablative maestroltasi maestroiltasi allative maestrollesi maestroillesi essive maestronasi maestroinasi translative maestroksesi maestroiksesi abessive maestrottasi maestroittasi instructive — — comitative — maestroinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative maestromme maestromme accusative nom. maestromme maestromme gen. maestromme genitive maestromme maestrojemme maestroidemme maestroittemme partitive maestroamme maestrojamme maestroitamme inessive maestrossamme maestroissamme elative maestrostamme maestroistamme illative maestroomme maestroihimme adessive maestrollamme maestroillamme ablative maestroltamme maestroiltamme allative maestrollemme maestroillemme essive maestronamme maestroinamme translative maestroksemme maestroiksemme abessive maestrottamme maestroittamme instructive — — comitative — maestroinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative maestronne maestronne accusative nom. maestronne maestronne gen. maestronne genitive maestronne maestrojenne maestroidenne maestroittenne partitive maestroanne maestrojanne maestroitanne inessive maestrossanne maestroissanne elative maestrostanne maestroistanne illative maestroonne maestroihinne adessive maestrollanne maestroillanne ablative maestroltanne maestroiltanne allative maestrollenne maestroillenne essive maestronanne maestroinanne translative maestroksenne maestroiksenne abessive maestrottanne maestroittanne instructive — — comitative — maestroinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative maestronsa maestronsa accusative nom. maestronsa maestronsa gen. maestronsa genitive maestronsa maestrojensa maestroidensa maestroittensa partitive maestroaan maestroansa maestrojaan maestroitaan maestrojansa maestroitansa inessive maestrossaan maestrossansa maestroissaan maestroissansa elative maestrostaan maestrostansa maestroistaan maestroistansa illative maestroonsa maestroihinsa adessive maestrollaan maestrollansa maestroillaan maestroillansa ablative maestroltaan maestroltansa maestroiltaan maestroiltansa allative maestrolleen maestrollensa maestroilleen maestroillensa essive maestronaan maestronansa maestroinaan maestroinansa translative maestrokseen maestroksensa maestroikseen maestroiksensa abessive maestrottaan maestrottansa maestroittaan maestroittansa instructive — — comitative — maestroineen maestroinensa

Further reading

• “maestro”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 3 July 2023

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian maestro, from Latin magistrum. Doublet of magister, borrowed from Latin, maître, inherited from Latin, and master, borrowed from English.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ma.ɛs.tʁo/, /ma.es.tʁo/ ~ /ma.ɛs.tʁo/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio (Switzerland (Valais)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

Noun

maestro m (plural maestros)

1. maestro

Further reading

• “maestro”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Indonesian

Etymology

Borrowed from Dutch maestro, from Italian maestro, from Latin magister (“master”). Doublet of magister, master, and mester.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /maˈɛstro/ [maˈɛs.t̪ro]
• Rhymes: -ɛstro
• Syllabification: ma‧es‧tro

Noun

maestro (plural maestro-maestro)

1. maestro: a master in some art, especially a composer or conductor

   Synonym: empu

Further reading

• “maestro”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

Interlingua

Noun

maestro (plural maestros)

1. master

Italian

Etymology

From Latin magistrum. Doublet of mastro.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /maˈɛs.tro/, /maˈes.tro/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛstro, -estro
• Hyphenation: ma‧è‧stro, ma‧é‧stro

Noun

maestro m (plural maestri, feminine maestra)

1. teacher (primary school)
2. master
3. mast
4. (music) conductor

   Synonym: direttore d'orchestra

5. wright
6. (meteorology) mistral (maestrale wind)

Synonyms

• insegnante
• docente
• precettore
• professore
• aio
• educatore

Related terms

• albero maestro
• entrata maestra
• gran maestro
• maestro d'ascia
• maestro di camera
• muro maestro
• strada maestra
• vela maestra

Descendants

• → English: maestro
• → Dutch: maestro
  • → Indonesian: maestro
• → Estonian: maestro
• → Finnish: maestro
• → French: maestro
• → Polish: maestro
• → Portuguese: maestro
• → Romanian: maestru
• → Russian: маэстро (maestro)
• → Serbo-Croatian: maestro / маестро
• → Turkish: maestro
• → Ukrainian: мае́стро (maéstro)

Adjective

maestro (feminine maestra, masculine plural maestri, feminine plural maestre)

1. proficient, accomplished, expert
2. main, most important

Derived terms

• maestramente

Further reading

• maèstro¹ in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
• maèstro² in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Anagrams

• mortase, mortesa, ormaste, staremo

Polish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Italian maestrobor.

Polish maestro

Borrowed from Italian maestro. Doublet of magister, majster, metr, and mistrz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /maˈɛs.trɔ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛstrɔ
• Syllabification: ma‧es‧tro

Noun

maestro m pers

1. maestro (unofficial title of distinguished musicians, especially conductors)

Declension

Declension of maestro

	singular	plural
nominative	maestro	maestrowie
genitive	maestra	maestrów
dative	maestrowi	maestrom
accusative	maestra	maestrów
instrumental	maestrem	maestrami
locative	maestrze	maestrach
vocative	maestro	maestrowie

Related terms

nouns

• maestria

Further reading

• “maestro”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎^[2] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• “maestro”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[3] (in Polish)

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian maestro. Doublet of mestre, magíster, máster, and míster.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /maˈɛs.tɾu/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /maˈɛs.tɾu/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /maˈɛʃ.tɾu/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /maˈɛs.tɾo/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /mɐˈɛʃ.tɾu/

• Rhymes: -ɛstɾu
• Hyphenation: ma‧es‧tro

Noun

maestro m (plural maestros, feminine maestrina, feminine plural maestrinas)

1. (music) conductor (person who conducts an orchestra)

Further reading

• “maestro”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026

Serbo-Croatian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /maěstro/
• Hyphenation: ma‧e‧stro

Noun

maèstro m anim (Cyrillic spelling маѐстро)

1. (music) maestro (unofficial title of distinguished musicians, especially conductors)

Declension

Declension of maestro

	singular	plural
nominative	maestro	maestri
genitive	maestra	maestara / maestra
dative	maestru	maestrima
accusative	maestra	maestre
vocative	maestro	maestri
locative	maestru	maestrima
instrumental	maestrom	maestrima

Spanish

Alternative forms

• maeso (obsolete)

Etymology

Inherited from Latin magistrum. Doublet of magíster, borrowed from Latin, and máster, borrowed from English.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /maˈestɾo/ [maˈes.t̪ɾo]

  • Audio (Colombia):

    (file)

  • Rhymes: -estɾo
• IPA^(key): /ˈmaestɾo/ [ˈma.es.t̪ɾo]
  • Rhymes: -aestɾo
• Syllabification: ma‧es‧tro

Noun

maestro m (plural maestros, feminine maestra, feminine plural maestras)

1. master
2. (master) craftsman, handyman, contractor, construction worker
3. (especially Latin America) a male teacher

   Synonym: profesor

4. (Canary Islands) gentleman

   Synonyms: señor, don

Related terms

• maestrx

Adjective

maestro (feminine maestra, masculine plural maestros, feminine plural maestras)

1. master
2. expert

   Synonym: experto

Derived terms

• amaestrar
• jugada maestra (“masterstroke, blinder”)
• llave maestra
• maestría
• maestro de aja
• maestro de armas
• maestro de balanza
• maestro de caballería
• maestro de ceremonias
• maestro de coches
• maestro de esgrima
• maestro de hacha
• maestro de hostal
• maestro de llagas
• maestro de novicios
• maestro de obras
• maestro de postas
• maestro de ribera
• maestro en artes
• mente maestra
• obra maestra

Related terms

• maese
• maestral
• maestranza
• magisterio

Descendants

• → Central Bikol: maestro
• → Cebuano: maestro
• → Tataltepec Chatino: mstru
• → Tagalog: maestro

Further reading

• “maestro”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025
• “maestro”, in Diccionario Básico de Canarismos [Basic Dictionary of Canarianisms] (in Spanish), Canarian Academy of the Language [Spanish: Academia Canaria de La Lengua], 2010

Swedish

Noun

maestro c

1. (chiefly music) a maestro

Declension

Declension of maestro

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	maestro	maestros
	definite	maestron	maestrons
plural	indefinite	—	—
	definite	—	—

See also

• mästare

References

• “maestro”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)
• “maestro”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)

Tagalog

Alternative forms

• maysto — obsolete, Spanish-based spelling, teacher
• maisto — obsolete, teacher
• mestro — teacher

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish maestro, from Latin magister, magistrum. Compare Kapampangan mestru and English master. Doublet of mister.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /maˈʔestɾo/ [mɐˈʔɛs.t̪ɾo], /maˈestɾo/ [mɐˈɛs.t̪ɾo]
• Rhymes: -estɾo
• Syllabification: ma‧es‧tro

Noun

maestro (feminine maestra, Baybayin spelling ᜋᜁᜐ᜔ᜆ᜔ᜇᜓ or ᜋᜌᜒᜐ᜔ᜆ᜔ᜇᜓ)

1. (music) (male) music conductor
2. (dated) (male) teacher

   Synonyms: guro, titser

Derived terms

• maestro karpentero
• magmaestro
• pagmaestruhan

Related terms

• abeha-maestra
• liyabe-maestra
• maestra
• maestrilyo
• mahistrado

See also

• instruktor
• ministro
• propesor

Further reading

• “maestro”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, 2018
• San Buena Ventura, Fr. Pedro de (1613), Vocabulario de lengua tagala. El romance castellano puesto primero. Primera, y segunda parte.‎^[4] (overall work in Early Modern Spanish and Classical Tagalog), as directed by Gov. Gen. Juan de Silva, Pila, Laguna: La noble Villa de Pila, por Tomás Pinpin y Domingo Loag., page 402: “Maeſtro) Mayſto (pp) C, de eſcuela o de enseñar”

Turkish

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian maestro, from Latin magister, from Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂s. Doublet of master.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [maːˈes.tɾo]

Noun

maestro (definite accusative maestroyu, plural maestrolar)

1. maestro, a composer
2. conductor of an orchestra

Declension

Declension of maestro

	singular	plural
nominative	maestro	maestrolar
definite accusative	maestroyu	maestroları
dative	maestroya	maestrolara
locative	maestroda	maestrolarda
ablative	maestrodan	maestrolardan
genitive	maestronun	maestroların