1.master用作动词的基本意思是“做…的主人”,也可作“控制,征服”“精通,掌握”“支使,命令”解。
2.master是及物动词,接名词或代词作宾语，偶尔也可接动名词作宾语。

用作及物动词
▲S+～+n./pron.
The camel wanted to master the tent.骆驼想做帐篷的主人。
We must master time.我们一定要做时间的主人。
They are able to master the situation.他们能够控制局势。
He made an effort to master his feelings.他竭力控制自己的感情。
You have to master your temper.你必须抑制住你的脾气。
Man can master nature.人类能征服自然。
He has mastered the ship's crew.他已能管住全体船员。
They attempt to master the world. 他们企图驾驭世界。
The horse tried to run away, but Paul succeeded in mastering it.那马想跑掉,但是鲍尔成功地驯服了它。
She has mastered several foreign languages, for instance French.她已掌握了好几种外国语言,例如法语。
He never mastered the art of public speaking.他从来没有掌握演讲的技巧。
She has mastered the art of flower arrangement.她已掌握插花艺术。
I hope to improve myself by learning to master a number of crafts.我希望学着掌握几门技术,使自己得到提高。
I'm sure he can master his destiny.我相信他能够掌握自己的命运。
He has mastered every detail of the business.他已精通生意的每一个细节。
◇ 用于be ～ed结构
Confrontations must be mastered as they arise.对抗必须消灭在萌芽状态之中。
▲S+～+v-ing
John has mastered riding his bicycle.约翰学会骑自行车。

1.作为英语专业的学生,我们必须很好地掌握英语。
［误］  As students of English, we must master the language very well.
［正］  As students of English, we must master the language.
［正］  As students of English, we must gain the mastery of the language.
［正］  As students of English, we must have a good command of the language.
［析］  master已含“精通”的意思,不必加very well,可以改用gain the mastery of 或 have a good command of等惯用语。但其中的介词 of不能换用in。
2.这位熟练工人教我们怎样掌握机器。
［误］  The advanced worker taught us how to master the machine.
［正］  The advanced worker taught us how to operate the machine.
［析］  master一般指“精通”,是对知识而言,而没有具体地“操纵”“掌握机器”的意思。可以说master a language; 但不可说master a machine〔tractor〕等,应改为operate。

［同义词］ n.  boss, captain, chief, director, governor, instructor, owner adj.  able, best, chief, choice, expert, main, masterly, primary, prime, principal, skilled, supreme v.  acquire, check, control, direct, learn, manage, rule, suppress
［反义词］ n.  amateur, learner, pupil, servant, slave adj.  lesser, minor, slave, subject, unimportant, unskilled
［词源］  ＜古英语magister(主人,教师)

1.master的基本意思是“主人”,指有权支配、使唤别人的人,也可指对奴隶、动物或事物的“控制者”,常与介词of连用。
2.master作“主人”解时用于男性,相对应的阴性名词是mistress。
3.master也可指“男教师”。在美国master teacher意为“老教师”。
4.master也可指商船、大渔船的“船长”或某些大学、学院的“院长”,作“院长”解时首字母常大写。
5.master用于比喻还可作“大师,手艺灵巧的人”解。
6.master还有“原模,原版,母带”的意思。
7.master也可用于指大学所颁授的“硕士学位”,首字母大写。

be master of
控制,掌握 control; master
〔说明〕 master前不用冠词。
She is master of the situation.她控制着局面。
After hard fighting, the defenders were still masters of the city.守军经过奋战仍然控制着城市。
This was before man was total master of his environment.这发生在人类能完全控制其环境之前。
Water is the master of the life.水是生命之本。
She is master of enterprise management.她精通于企业管理。
If only I could be master of this subject.我多么希望能精通这门学科。
He is Jack of all trades and master of none.他无所不能,而一无所有。

be master of one's destiny
掌握自己的命运 control his or her own fate
You cannot be the master of your destiny.你不能决定自己的命运。

be master of oneself
把某人置于完全控制之下 have oneself under complete control
They were absolute masters of themselves under fire.他们在敌人炮火下泰然自若。
Because of the enormous responsibility they hold, it is imperative that submarine commanders are masters of themselves as well as their vessels and crew.由于负有重大责任,潜水艇上的指挥员们不仅要控制住自己而且还要指挥好他们的舰艇和全体船员。

make oneself master of
熟练,精通; 能运用自如 be good at sth
He has made himself master of the language.他已经精通这种语言。

The master left his money with a trusty servant.主人把他的钱交给一个可靠的仆人保管。
Mother is the master of his family.在他家母亲是一家之长。
It is well known that he is the master of the present situation.众所周知,他是目前局势的控制者。
A dog's master is its owner.狗的主人是狗的所有者。
Linda has to tend on her master to make a living.琳达得服侍她的主人来维持生活。
Like master.like man.有其主必有其仆。
He is our music master.他是我们的音乐教师。
The village master taught his little school.那位乡村男教师在他的那所小学校里教书。
He has been the Master of King's College,Cambridge.他曾是剑桥大学皇家学院的院长。
The master of the ship was drowned.船长淹死了。
The master refused to leave his sinking ship while there were others on board在船上还有其他人的时候,船长不肯离开正在下沉的船。
This painting is an old masterpiece.这幅画是古代名画家的作品。
Grandfather was a master at silversmithing.祖父是一位制作银器的能工巧匠。
He's a real master at carving animals.雕刻动物他是个真正的行家里手。
He studied painting under the masters.他在名家指导下学画。
You've left your master in the photocopier.你把原件留在影印机里了。
He holds an Oxford M.A.degree.他持有牛津大学硕士学位。
She's a Master of Arts.她是文学硕士。
Mary-lou took her business school Master's degree at a college near Paris.玛丽·罗在巴黎附近的一所学院里获得了商学硕士学位。
The young man is a master builder.那个年轻人是位建筑师傅。

下面三句的意思不同:
She is master of chess.
她精通象棋。
She is a master of chess.
她是象棋名家。
She is the master of chess.
她是一位杰出的象棋大师。

1.master用作形容词的意思是“精通的,熟练的,优秀的”,也可作“主要的,重要的” 解。
2.master无比较级和最高级形式,在句中主要用作定语。

用作定语
▲～+n.
 He is a master engineer.他是个熟练的工程师。
That young man is a master singer.那个年轻人是一位优秀的歌手。
Do you think that an absent-minded fellow like Tom can become a master carpenter?你认为像汤姆这样一个心不在焉的家伙能成为一名手艺高明的木匠吗?