ataman

[ at-uh-muh n ]

/ ˈæt ə mən /

noun, plural at·a·mans.

the elected chief of a Cossack village or military force.

Nearby words

Origin of ataman

1825–35; < Russian atamán, Old Russian vatamanŭ, probably alteration of a Turkic word with the personal suffix -man; identity of initial element disputed

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ataman

The decision maker turned out to be a gray-haired Cossack ataman, or commander, in a traditional sheepskin hat.
Held at Gunpoint by Ukraine Rebels|Anna Nemtsova|May 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I should have had to knuckle down very submissively to some ataman, or bully, and this I was not willing to do.
Tramping with Tramps|Josiah Flynt
They live there in dirty little cabins and underground caves, a close community with its ataman and common funds.
Tramping with Tramps|Josiah Flynt
In a moment we found ourselves surrounded by them, while a path in front was stopped by the Ataman.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Vol. 53, No. 331, May, 1843|Various

The common saying, "Bear patiently, Cossack; you will one day be Ataman!"
Russia|Donald Mackenzie Wallace
“Ataman” or “hetman” is also the name of the elected elder of the stanitsa, the unit of Cossack administration.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 4|Various

British Dictionary definitions for ataman

ataman

/ (ˈætəmən) /

noun plural -mans

an elected leader of the Cossacks; hetman

Word Origin for ataman

from Russian, from Polish hetman, from German Hauptmann (literally: head man)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012