ataman

[ at-uh-muhn ]

/ ˈæt ə mən /

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noun, plural at·a·mans.

the elected chief of a Cossack village or military force.

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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

Words nearby ataman

at all, at all costs, at all times, at a loss, at a low ebb, ataman, atamasco lily, at any cost, at any rate, at a premium, ataractic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use ataman in a sentence

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
The son of the head man of our village (the ataman), took his place next to him with a harmonica.
Our Little Cossack Cousin|F. A. Postnikov

I heard the village ataman, the head man of our village, say to him in a slow, persuasive voice.
Our Little Cossack Cousin|F. A. Postnikov
Ataman Semianoff had for some time been kept by the Japanese in reserve for such an occasion.
With the "Die-Hards" in Siberia|John Ward

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