definitions

napoleon

[ nuh-poh-lee-uh n, -pohl-yuh n ]
/ nəˈpoʊ li ən, -ˈpoʊl yən /
|

noun

a pastry consisting of thin layers of puff paste interlaid with a cream or custard filling.
a former gold coin of France, equal to 20 francs and bearing a portrait either of Napoleon I or of Napoleon III.
Cards.
  1. a game in which the players bid for the privilege of naming the trump, stating the number of tricks they propose to win.
  2. a bid in this game to take all five tricks of a hand.

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Nearby words

napkin, napkin ring, naples, naples yellow, napo, napoleon, napoleon bonaparte, napoleon i, napoleon ii, napoleon iii, napoleonic

Origin of napoleon

First recorded in 1805–15, napoleon is from the French word napoléon

Definition for napoleon (2 of 5)

Napoleon

[ nuh-poh-lee-uh n, -pohl-yuh n ]
/ nəˈpoʊ li ən, -ˈpoʊl yən /

noun

Louis [loo-ee; French lwee] /ˈlu i; French lwi/. Napoleon III.
a male given name.

Definition for napoleon (3 of 5)

Napoleon I

noun

Napoleon Bonapartethe Little Corporal, 1769–1821, French general born in Corsica: emperor of France 1804–15.

Definition for napoleon (4 of 5)

Napoleon II

noun

François Charles Joseph BonaparteDuke of Reichstadt, 1811–32, titular king of Rome (son of Napoleon I).

Definition for napoleon (5 of 5)

Napoleon III

noun

Louis NapoleonCharles Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, [loo-ee; French lwee] /ˈlu i; French lwi/1808–73, president of France 1848–52, emperor of France 1852–70 (nephew of Napoleon I).
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for napoleon

British Dictionary definitions for napoleon (1 of 4)

napoleon

/ (nəˈpəʊlɪən) /

noun

a former French gold coin worth 20 francs bearing a portrait of either Napoleon I or Napoleon III
cards the full name for nap 3 (def. 1)
the US name for millefeuille

Word Origin for napoleon

C19: from French napoléon, after Napoleon I

British Dictionary definitions for napoleon (2 of 4)

Napoleon II

noun

Duke of Reichstadt. 1811–32, son of Napoleon Bonaparte and Marie Louise. He was known as the King of Rome during the first French empire and was entitled Napoleon II by Bonapartists after Napoleon I's death (1821)

British Dictionary definitions for napoleon (3 of 4)

Napoleon I

/ (nəˈpəʊlɪən) /

noun

full name Napoleon Bonaparte. 1769–1821, Emperor of the French (1804–15). He came to power as the result of a coup in 1799 and established an extensive European empire. A brilliant general, he defeated every European coalition against him until, irreparably weakened by the Peninsular War and the Russian campaign (1812), his armies were defeated at Leipzig (1813). He went into exile but escaped and ruled as emperor during the Hundred Days. He was finally defeated at Waterloo (1815). As an administrator, his achievements were of lasting significance and include the Code Napoléon, which remains the basis of French law

British Dictionary definitions for napoleon (4 of 4)

Napoleon III

noun

full name Charles Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, known as Louis-Napoleon. 1808–73, Emperor of the French (1852–70); nephew of Napoleon I. He led two abortive Bonapartist risings (1836; 1840) and was elected president of the Second Republic (1848), establishing the Second Empire in 1852. Originally successful in foreign affairs, he was deposed after the disastrous Franco-Prussian War
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