ringleader
[ ring-lee-der ]
/ ˈrɪŋˌli dər /
noun
a person who leads others, especially in opposition to authority, law, etc.: a ringleader of revolutionary activities.
RELATED WORDS
instigator, troublemaker, mastermind, chieftain, head, captain, spokesperson, ruler, general, inciter, chief, agitator, commander, skipper, president, boss, orchestrator, brains
Nearby words
- ringer's solution,
- ringgit,
- ringhals,
- ringing,
- ringing tone,
- ringlet,
- ringlight,
- ringling,
- ringmaster,
- ringneck
Origin of ringleader
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for ringleader
ringleader
/ (ˈrɪŋˌliːdə) /
noun
a person who leads others in any kind of unlawful or mischievous activity
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
ringleader
c.1500, from Middle English phrase to lead the ring (mid-14c.), probably from a medieval metaphor from dancing. See ring (n.1) + lead (v.1).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper