Pharaoh

American  

[fair-oh, far-oh, fey-roh] / ˈfɛər oʊ, ˈfær oʊ, ˈfeɪ roʊ /

noun

1. a title of an ancient Egyptian king.

2. (lowercase) any person who uses power or authority to oppress others; tyrant.

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Pharaoh British  

/ ˈfɛərəʊ, fɛəˈrɒnɪk /

noun

1. the title of the ancient Egyptian kings

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pharaoh Cultural  

1. The title of the kings of ancient Egypt (see also Egypt). In the story of Joseph and his brothers, a pharaoh puts Joseph in charge of his entire kingdom. In the Book of Exodus, a pharaoh repeatedly refuses the request of Moses to let the Israelites leave the country and does not give in until after the worst of the ten plagues of Egypt.

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Other Word Forms

• Pharaonic adjective

Etymology

Origin of Pharaoh

before 900; Middle English Pharao, Old English Pharaon < Latin pharaō < Greek pharaṓ (stem pharaōn- ) < Hebrew phārʿōh < Egyptian pr house + ʿʾ great; originally a designation for the palace, but used to refer to the king from the time of Akhenaton (14th cent. b.c.); -h restored from Hebrew

Example Sentences

If you come out here, catch a movie in theater 15, the Pharaoh’s Theater: You’ll find yourself enjoying a film under the stars, or rather under ceiling lights that mimic the night sky.

From Salon

But for now, the focus is on succeeding with the Pharaohs in Morocco.

From BBC

The radiocarbon ages for the Santorini event were markedly older than the first radiocarbon dates obtained for artifacts associated with Pharaoh Ahmose and those from the 17th to early 18th Dynasty.

From Science Daily

Pharaoh was hoisted up so he could stand on the obelisk.

From Literature

The Dutch government said the sculpture of a high-ranking official from the dynasty of Pharaoh Thutmose III is "deeply meaningful to Egypt's identity".

From BBC

Related Words

• emperor
• king
• monarch
• ruler