baronet

[ bar-uh-nit, bar-uh-net ]

/ ˈbær ə nɪt, ˌbær əˈnɛt /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR baronet ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a member of a British hereditary order of honor, ranking below the barons and made up of commoners, designated by Sir before the name and Baronet, usually abbreviated Bart., after: Sir John Smith, Bart.

Nearby words

baron, baron of beef, baron-cohen, baronage, baroness, baronet, baronetage, baronetcy, baronetess, baronetize, barong

Origin of baronet

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at baron, -et

Related forms

bar·o·net·i·cal, adjective

Can be confused

barren baron baronet

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

Examples from the Web for baronet

It is the prerogative of a viscount or a baron to make a person feel small, and of a baronet to extinguish him.
Twain's Conversations with Satan|Mark Twain|April 26, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Sir Anthony, the third baronet, took after his great-grandfather and dreamed of sailing north to help the Earl of Mar in 1715.
The Vanity Girl|Compton Mackenzie
"I think this will suffice for to-day, Miss Beecham," said the baronet, when she had read to the end.
Meg's Friend|Alice Abigail Corkran
"I found a letter from you this morning; it had been lying at my house unopened for some time," said the baronet.
Willing to Die|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

"You may be very sure I shan't, sir," said the Baronet, fiercely.
The Tenants of Malory|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
The hound had kept upon the grassy border while the baronet had run down the path, so that no track but the man's was visible.
The Hound of the Baskervilles|A. Conan Doyle

British Dictionary definitions for baronet

baronet

/ (ˈbærənɪt, -ˌnɛt) /

noun

(in Britain) a commoner who holds the lowest hereditary title of honour, ranking below a baronAbbreviation: Bart., Bt

Word Origin for baronet

C15: order instituted 1611, from baron + -et

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