kaiser

¹ American  

[kahy-zer] / ˈkaɪ zər /

noun

1. a German emperor.

2. an Austrian emperor.

3. History/Historical. a ruler of the Holy Roman Empire.

4. a person who exercises or tries to exercise absolute authority; autocrat.

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Kaiser ² American  

[kahy-zer] / ˈkaɪ zər /

noun

1. Henry J(ohn), 1882–1967, U.S. industrialist.

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Kaiser ¹ British  

/ ˈkaizər /

noun

1. Georg (ˈɡeːɔrk). 1878–1945, German expressionist dramatist

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Kaiser ² British  

/ ˈkaɪzə /

noun

1. any German emperor, esp Wilhelm II (ruled 1888–1918)

2. obsolete any Austro-Hungarian emperor

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Kaiser Cultural  

1. The German word for “emperor.” The emperors of Austria and Germany were called Kaisers. (See Wilhelm II.)

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Other Word Forms

• kaiserdom noun

Etymology

Origin of kaiser

1150–1200; < German ≪ Latin Caesar emperor, special use of proper name ( Caesar ); replacing Middle English keisere, (north) caisere < Old Norse keisari ≪ Latin as above; compare Old English cāsere

Explanation

Historically, a kaiser was a German or Austrian emperor. In North America, it's also a delicious crusty roll. This royal title goes all the way back to the Holy Roman Emperors of the 10th century, who called themselves kaiser, from Caesar, "emperor or ruler," (a reference to Julius Caesar). The term was used throughout the German Empire, until its end in the 20th century. Kaiser rolls resemble crowns and originated in Austria, where they're known as Kaisersemmel. They're named after Austrian Kaiser Franz Joseph I, who ruled from 1848 to 1916.

Example Sentences

I finally found the BEC of my NYC dreams — the one served at Volunteer Park Cafe, where they make their own kaiser rolls to compensate for our sad regional deficit in that bread category.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 14, 2023

The country’s political parties had forced the kaiser to abdicate in favor of a new constitutional government, the Weimar Republic.

From Textbooks • Dec. 14, 2022

Serrated Knife: Paging your bagels, kaiser rolls, croissants, and buns.

From Salon • Apr. 23, 2022

Once the kaiser abdicated, and ink on the armistice dried, worry over Edward’s deployment shifted to the hope of discharge and the anticipation of coming home.

From Slate • May 16, 2020

To avert a catastrophe, Ludendorff told the kaiser, Germany must seek an immediate armistice.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman