past master

noun

1. a person who is thoroughly experienced or exceptionally skilled in a profession, art, etc..

   a past master at chess.

2. a person who has held the office of master in a guild, lodge, etc.

past master

noun

1. a person with talent for, or experience in, a particular activity

   a past master of tact

2. a person who has held the office of master in a Freemasons' lodge, guild, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of past master¹

First recorded in 1755–65

Idioms and Phrases

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]

Example Sentences

Farage is a past master at grabbing headlines, seizing on issues other politicians are sometimes reluctant to, talking in terms that raise eyebrows, creating rows and news coverage.

From BBC

Besieged on all sides, Mr. Lee is a past master at playing to public emotions.

From Washington Times

He is a past master at laying off his debts as well as his moral responsibilities.

From Salon

There are sequences here that nod to past masters, from Hitchcock to Spielberg to Shyamalan, and shots that revel in the sheer ecstasy of moviemaking.

From New York Times

Pleading his case to Alithea, the Djinn turns Scheherazade, telling stories of his past masters and the centuries of imprisonment he has endured as a result of their lust and greed.

From Los Angeles Times