Miss, Mistress, Mrs (masteress, lady-master). Miss used to be written Mis, and is the first syllable of
Mistress; Mrs. is the contraction of mistress, called Misess. Even in the reign of George II. unmarried
ladies used to be styled Mrs.; as, Mrs. Lepel, Mrs. Bellenden, Mrs. Blount, all unmarried ladies. (See
Pope's Letters.)
Early in Charles II.'s reign, Evelyn tells us that “lewd women began to be styled Misse;” now Mistress
is more frequently applied to them.