Maestro

How to spell maestro

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce maestro

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does maestro mean?

1. nounA distinguished conductor, composer, or teacher of music, used as a title of respect.
2. nounA person regarded as a great master of any art, craft, or skill.

Maestro in a sentence

• The orchestra fell silent as the maestro raised his baton.

• The pastry chef worked like a true maestro in the kitchen.

• The visiting maestro rehearsed the strings for three hours.

• Colleagues treated her as a maestro of negotiation after the deal closed.

Where does maestro come from?

Language of origin: Italian

This word is Italian, taken directly into English in the eighteenth century, originally as a respectful title for a great composer or conductor. The Italian maestro means simply 'master' or 'teacher', and it descends from the Latin magister, which named a person of higher rank or authority, literally 'the one who is greater', built on the root magis meaning 'more'. The same Latin magister lies behind the English words 'master', 'magistrate' and even 'mister', so maestro is a close cousin of all three. In music it was often used in the full phrase maestro di cappella, the master of the chapel choir, before English shortened it to the single honorific we use today. The spelling trap is purely the Italian look: the unexpected -ae- pairing and the temptation to write 'maistro' or 'mastro' instead.

How the word is built

• maestro (from Latin magister: master, chief, teacher); the Italian spelling keeps the -ae- vowel and the single internal consonants