baron

[ bar-uh n ]

/ ˈbær ən /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR baron ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a member of the lowest grade of nobility.

(in Britain)

a feudal vassal holding his lands under a direct grant from the king.
a direct descendant of such a vassal or his equal in the nobility.
a member of the House of Lords.

an important financier or industrialist, especially one with great power in a particular area: an oil baron.

a cut of mutton or lamb comprising the two loins, or saddle, and the hind legs.

RELATED WORDS

aristocrat, peer, lord

Nearby words

Compare baron of beef.

Origin of baron

1200–50; Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French < Late Latin barōn- (stemof barō) man < Germanic; sense “cut of beef” perhaps by analogy with the fanciful analysis of sirloin as “Sir Loin”

Can be confusedbarren baron baronet

Baron

[ ba-rawn ]

/ baˈrɔ̃ /

noun

Mi·chel

[mee-shel] /miˈʃɛl/, Michel Boyron, 1653–1729, French actor.

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

Examples from the Web for baron

In 2012, the Kazakh foreign minister actually thanked Baron Cohen for making the movie.
When Countries Lose Their Shit Over American Movies|Asawin Suebsaeng|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I told Seiler that I certainly did remember Edo Vanni, an outfielder who passed through briefly as a Baron.
The Great Paul Hemphill Celebrates the Long Gone Birmingham Barons|Paul Hemphill|March 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Your dad worked with Sherrill on The Baron in 1981 and recorded a few songs for Out Among the Stars around that time.
The Inside Story of Johnny Cash’s Legendary Lost LP, ‘Out Among the Stars’|Andrew Romano|March 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Duchess is the highest rank in the English peerage (in descending order the ranks go duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron).
Kate Middleton: Why Be a Duchess When You Can Be a Princess?|Tom Sykes|August 5, 2013|DAILY BEAST

The brilliantly intellectual Baron de Charlus suffers a stroke.
David's Bookclub: Time Regained|David Frum|April 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It would have delighted your heart to read it, were his words in writing to Baron Stockmar.
The Empress Frederick; a memoir|Anonymous
"Yes, these stories always end in the same way, baron," said he.
Baron Trigault's Vengeance|Emile Gaboriau
"Nowadays we get it all through the winter," said the Baron with a gesture of disenchantment.
The Three Cities Trilogy, Complete|Emile Zola
I presume you mean that Baron Benoni asked you to marry him?
A Roman Singer|F. Marion Crawford
But they did not hobble far, for the voice of the Baron was heard in angry expostulation.
The Joyous Story of Toto|Laura E. Richards

British Dictionary definitions for baron

baron

/ (ˈbærən) /

noun

a member of a specific rank of nobility, esp the lowest rank in the British Isles

(in Europe from the Middle Ages) originally any tenant-in-chief of a king or other overlord, who held land from his superior by honourable service; a land-holding nobleman

a powerful businessman or financiera press baron

English law (formerly) the title held by judges of the Court of Exchequer

short for baron of beef

Word Origin for baron

C12: from Old French, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German baro freeman, Old Norse berjask to fight

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

Word Origin and History for baron

baron

c.1200, from Old French baron (nominative ber) "baron, nobleman, military leader, warrior, virtuous man, lord, husband," probably from or related to Late Latin baro "man," of uncertain origin, perhaps from Frankish *baro "freeman, man;" merged in England with cognate Old English beorn "nobleman."