governor

[guhv-er-ner, ‐uh-ner]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR governor ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the executive head of a state in the U.S.

a person charged with the direction or control of an institution, society, etc.: the governors of a bank; the governor of a prison.

Also called governor general. the representative of the crown, as in the Commonwealth of Nations.

a ruler or chief magistrate appointed to govern a province, town, fort, or the like.

Machinery. a device for maintaining uniform speed regardless of changes of load, as by regulating the supply of fuel or working fluid.

British Informal.

one's father.
one's employer.
any man of superior rank or status.

Nearby words

Origin of governor

1250–1300; Middle English governour < Old French governeor, gouverneur < Latin gubernātōrem, accusative of gubernātor, equivalent to gubernā(re) to steer, govern + -tor -tor

Related formssub·gov·er·nor, nounun·der·gov·er·nor, noun

Pronunciation note

In governor, the process of dissimilation—the tendency for neighboring like sounds to become unlike or for one of them to disappear entirely—commonly results in the loss of the first

[r] /r/ of

[guhv-er-ner] /ˈgʌv ər nər/, producing the pronunciation

[guhv-uh-ner] /ˈgʌv ə nər/. This pronunciation is heard even in regions where postvocalic

[r] /r/ is not usually dropped. A further loss, of the medial unstressed vowel, results in

[guhv-ner] /ˈgʌv nər/. All three pronunciations are standard. See colonel, February, library.

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

Examples from the Web for governor

Like many Americans—but few Republican presidential candidates—the former Florida governor has evolved on the issue.
Jeb Bush’s Unseen Anti-Gay Marriage Emails|Jackie Kucinich|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The governor of Punjab province, a Muslim man, called publicly for leniency for her.
In Defense of Blasphemy|Michael Tomasky|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And now, similarly, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee: "Bend over and take it like a prisoner!"
Huckabee 2016: Bend Over and Take It Like a Prisoner!|Olivia Nuzzi|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Duke was a state representative whose neo-Nazi alliances were disgorged in media reports during his run for governor in 1991.
The Price of Steve Scalise’s Silence|Jason Berry|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Abramoff said that the governor needed to remember to “be humble.”
Abramoff’s Advice for Virginia’s New Jailhouse Guv|Tim Mak, Jackie Kucinich|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Burr, in committee, frankly declared that the surplus was to establish a bank, and Governor Jay signed the bill.
The Life of John Marshall Volume 3 of 4|Albert J. Beveridge
What is more, the Sultan looked upon the governor himself as nothing better than a sponge.
The Contemporary Review, Volume 36, December 1879|Various
One of them is now in the possession of the Governor, and tolerably well reconciled to his new master.
A Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay|Watkin Tench
In the first place, one hundred lads were selected and handed over to the governor, as so many apprentices to the sea.
The Crater|James Fenimore Cooper
The assembly was composed of the Governor, the privy counsellors and the burgesses.
The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 11|Various

British Dictionary definitions for governor

governor

noun

a person who governs

the ruler or chief magistrate of a colony, province, etc

the representative of the Crown in a British colony

British the senior administrator or head of a society, prison, etc

the chief executive of any state in the US

a device that controls the speed of an engine, esp by regulating the supply of fuel, etc, either to limit the maximum speed or to maintain a constant speed

Also called: head grammar

a word in a phrase or clause that is the principal item and gives the function of the whole, as hat in the big red hat
(as modifier)a governor noun

British informal a name or title of respect for a father, employer, etc

Related formsRelated adjective: gubernatorial

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 governor

governor

c.1300, gouernour, "personal keeper, protector, guide," from Old French governeor (11c., Modern French gouverneur) and directly from Latin gubernatorem (nominative gubernator) "director, ruler, governor," originally "steersman, pilot" (see govern). Meaning "subordinate ruler; head of a province, etc." is from late 14c. The adjective gubernatorial remembers the Latin form.