ephor

[ ef-awr, ef-er ]
/ ˈɛf ɔr, ˈɛf ər /

noun, plural eph·ors, eph·or·i [ef-uh-rahy]. /ˈɛf əˌraɪ/.

one of a body of magistrates in various ancient Dorian states, especially at Sparta, where a body of five was elected annually by the people.

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a cylindrical wooden container with slightly bulging sides.
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Origin of ephor

1580–90; <Latin ephorus<Greek éphoros overseer, guardian, ruler (Compare ephorân to look over, equivalent to ep-ep- + horân to see, look)

OTHER WORDS FROM ephor

eph·or·al, adjectiveeph·or·ate [ef-uh-reyt, -er-it], /ˈɛf əˌreɪt, -ər ɪt/, eph·or·al·ty [ef-er-uhl-tee], /ˈɛf ər əl ti/, noun

Words nearby ephor

Ephesian, Ephesians, Ephesus, ephippium, ephod, ephor, Ephraim, Ephraimite, Ephrata, epi-, epiandrosterone
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for ephor

British Dictionary definitions for ephor

ephor
/ (ˈɛfɔː) /

noun plural -ors or -ori (-əˌraɪ)

(in ancient Greece) one of a board of senior magistrates in any of several Dorian states, esp the five Spartan ephors, who were elected by vote of all full citizens and who wielded effective power

Derived forms of ephor

ephoral, adjectiveephorate, noun

Word Origin for ephor

C16: from Greek ephoros, from ephoran to supervise, from epi- + horan to look
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