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  

/ ˈkaɪzə /

noun

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

2. obsolete any Austro-Hungarian emperor

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Kaiser ² British  

/ ˈkaizər /

noun

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

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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

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

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

Smoky’s gives you a choice of a potato or kaiser roll — I suggest the former for its subtle sweetness, which balances the aggressive flavor of the char.

From Washington Post • Sep. 19, 2019

Crowded beside liquefied nectarines and rock-hard kaiser rolls, the cans relax, dented and lint-covered, against the nastiest shaving kit you have ever seen in your life.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris