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What is a Dominatrix?

A dominatrix or mistress is a woman who takes the dominant role in bondage and discipline, dominance and submission or BDSM. A common form of address for a submissive to a dominatrix is "mistress", "ma'am", "domina" or "maîtresse". Note that a dominatrix does not necessarily dominate a male partner; a dominatrix may well have female submissives.

The term "domme" is a coined pseudo-French female variation of the slang dom (short for dominant). It stems from the Latin words "dominus" = master, "domina" = mistress. The pronunciation is identical to the term "dom", by analogy to one-syllable French-derived words like femme or blonde.

As fetish culture is increasingly becoming more prevalent in Western media, depictions of dominatrices in film and television have become more common.

Dominatrix is the feminine form of the Latin dominator, a ruler or lord, and was originally used in a non-sexual sense. Its use in English dates back to at least 1561. Its earliest recorded use in the prevalent modern sense, as a female dominant in S&M, dates to 1967.

Although the term "dominatrix" is not used, the classic example in literature of the female dominant-male submissive relationship is portrayed in the 1870 novella Venus in Furs by Austrian author Leopold von Sacher-Masoch. The term masochism was later derived from the author's name.

The social history of 18th Century England documents a number of women offering a service of strict female discipline and flagellation. Amongst these "female flagellants" was the well-known Theresa Berkley, who operated her establishment in Charlotte St in London's suburb of Marylebone. She is often cited as one of the earliest dominatrices, although she herself used the title of "Governess". She is recorded to have used implements such as whips, canes and birches, to chastise and punish her male clients, as well as the Berkley Horse, a specially designed flogging machine, and a pulley suspension system for lifting them off the floor. Such historical use of corporal punishment and suspension, in a setting of domination role play, connects very closely to the practices of modern-day professional dominatrices.

The term dominatrix is often used to describe a professional dominant (or "pro-domme") who is paid to engage in BDSM domination role play with a submissive. An appointment or role play is referred to as a "session", and is often conducted in a dedicated professional play space which has been set up with specialist equipment, such as a "dungeon". In the contemporary era of technological connectivity, sessions may also be conducted remotely by phone, email or online chat.

Women who engage in professional female domination typically promote and title themselves under the terms "Dominatrix", "Mistress", or "Lady", with the capitalization of these terms being an important signifier to their self-identification in the dominant role.

The majority of professional dominatrices distinguish themselves from prostitutes, and do not offer sexual intercourse as part of their service to clients. The Canadian dominatrix Terri-Jean Bedford (who was one of three women who initiated an application in the Ontario Superior Court to seeking invalidation of Canada's laws regarding brothels), sought to differentiate for clarity her occupation as a dominatrix rather than prostitute to the media, due to frequent misunderstanding and conflation by the public of the two terms.

Professional dominatrices may take pride or differentiation in their psychological insight into their submissive client's "needs" and fetishes, as well as their technical ability to perform complex BDSM practices, such as Japanese shibari and other forms of bondage, suspension, torture role play, and corporal punishment, and other such practices which require a high degree of knowledge and competency to safely oversee.

To differentiate women who self-identify as a Dominatrix but do not offer paid services, non-professional dominants may be referred to as a "lifestyle" Dominatrix or "lifestyle" Mistress. It should also be noted that some professional Dominatrices are also lifestyle Dominatrices, which means that they are paid for sessions by submissive clients, as well as engaging in unpaid sessions within the realm of their private lives and relationships. They may promote themselves as a "genuine lifestyle Mistress" to emphasize that BDSM domination practice is their deep personal interest, and that they do not regard it as merely a job for which they receive payment.

The Dominatrix is a female archetype which operates on a symbolic mode of representation, associated with particular attire and props that are drawn on within popular culture to signify her role - as a strong, dominant, sexualized woman - linked to but distinct from images of sexual fetish.

One of the ubiquitous garments associated with the Dominatrix is the cat suit. Historically, the black leather female cat suit entered dominant fetish culture in the 1950s with the AtomAge magazine and its connections to fetish fashion designer John Sutcliffe. The spill-over into mainstream culture, occurred with cat suits being worn by strong female protagonists in popular TV programs like The Avengers, and in the comic super-heroines such as Cat woman, in which the cat suit represented the independent woman capable of "kick-ass" moves and antics, enabling complete freedom of movement. On another level, the one-piece cat suit accentuated and exaggerated the sexualized female form, providing visual access to a woman's body, while simultaneously obstructing physical penetrative access. "You can look but you can't touch" is the mechanism of this operation, which plays upon the BDSM practice known as "tease and denial".

Other common signifying footwear of the Dominatrix are thigh-high boots, in leather or shiny PVC, which have long held a fetishistic status, along with the very high stiletto heel. Fishnet stockings, seamed hosiery, suspender belts and garter stockings are also popular accents in the representation and attire of Dominatrices, to emphasize the form and length of their legs, with erotic connotation.

The corset is another staple garment of the Dominatrix signification. Gloves - whether long opera gloves or fingerless gloves, are often a further accessory to emphasize the feminine role.

Materials such as PVC, leather and rubber latex, are amongst the most common to immediately take on the signifying work of fetish attire. The body language of the Dominatrix is frequently represented by the use of strong, dominant body-language which is comparable to the dominant posturing in the animal world. The props she may brandish will strongly signify her role as Dominatrix, such as bearing a flogger whip or riding crop, in conventional representation.

Practicing professional Dominatrices may draw their attire from the conventional signifiers of the role, or adapt them to create their own individual style, where there exists a potential pull - between meeting conventional expectations, and a desire for dominant independent self-expression.

Some contemporary dominatrices draw upon an eclectic range of strong female archetypes, including the goddess, the female super heroine, the femme fatale, the priestess, the empress, the queen, the governess, the KGB secret agent, to their own ends.