emperor
Americannoun
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the male sovereign or supreme ruler of an empire.
the emperors of Rome.
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Chiefly British. a size of drawing or writing paper, 48 × 72 inches (122 × 183 centimeters).
noun
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a monarch who rules or reigns over an empire
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Also called: emperor moth. any of several large saturniid moths with eyelike markings on each wing, esp Saturnia pavonia of Europe See also giant peacock moth
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See purple emperor
Other Word Forms
- emperorship noun
- preemperor noun
Etymology
Origin of emperor
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English empero(u)r, (from Anglo-French; Old French empereor, from Latin imperātor, originally, “one who gives orders, ruler,” equivalent to imperā(re) “to order, command” ( im- “in” + -perāre, combining form of parāre “to provide, get ready” ) + -tor noun suffix of agency; im- 1, prepare, -tor
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Aztec emperor Montezuma, one could say, was dethroned not so much by Cortés as by Old World germs and New World enemies.
Professor England warned that emperor penguin populations are facing greater extinction risks because their chicks depend on stable sea ice to mature.
From Science Daily
Naturally, such arches tend to glorify the emperor.
From Salon
Decades ago, China’s one-child policy gave rise to what sociologists referred to as the “little emperor” phenomenon.
From MarketWatch
Decades ago, China’s one-child policy gave rise to what sociologists referred to as the “little emperor” phenomenon.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
