bey
Americannoun
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a provincial governor in the Ottoman Empire.
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(formerly) a title of respect for Turkish dignitaries.
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(formerly) the title of the ruler of Tunis or Tunisia.
noun
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(in the Ottoman Empire) a title given to senior officers, provincial governors, certain other officials or nobles, and (sometimes) Europeans
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(in modern Turkey) a title of address, corresponding to Mr
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of bey
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Turkish, by-form of earlier beg, Old Turkic beg “subordinate chief, head of a clan,” perhaps from a Middle Chinese word akin to Chinese bǎi “hundred” (Guangdong diaect baak )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The early-signing period is 300 days away — a long time to keep the marauders at bey.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 20, 2020
From the moment each hot and hopeful foreigner sets foot in the United States, the pair has 90 days to get married, or international bey has to return home.
From Salon • Dec. 22, 2018
The use of encryption should be mainly to keep common criminals at bey, and maybe some forms of organized crime.
From New York Times • Feb. 24, 2016
In Sango, the national tongue, there is a phrase for this: kanga bey.
From Slate • Aug. 29, 2014
One of these is said to have been a bey.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 1 "Edwardes" to "Ehrenbreitstein" by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
