sultan
[ suhl-tn ]
/ ˈsʌl tn /
noun
the sovereign of an Islamic country.
(often initial capital letter) any of the former sovereigns of Turkey.
any absolute ruler or despot.
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Nearby words
sulphurous, sulphurous acid, sulphurously, sulphuryl, sulpician, sultan, sultana, sultanate, sultaness, sultanic, sultry
Origin of sultan
1545–55; < Middle French < Turkish < Arabic sulṭān sovereign
Related formssul·tan·ic [suhl-tan-ik] /sʌlˈtæn ɪk/, adjectivesul·tan·like, adjectivesul·tan·ship, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for sultan
British Dictionary definitions for sultan
sultan
/ (ˈsʌltən) /
noun
the sovereign of a Muslim country, esp of the former Ottoman Empire
an arbitrary ruler; despot
a small domestic fowl with a white crest and heavily feathered legs and feet: originated in Turkey
Derived Formssultanic (sʌlˈtænɪk), adjectivesultan-like, adjectivesultanship, noun
Word Origin for sultan
C16: from Medieval Latin sultānus, from Arabic sultān rule, from Aramaic salita to rule
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for sultan
sultan
1550s, from Middle French sultan "ruler of Turkey" (16c.), from Arabic sultan "ruler, king, queen, power, dominion," from Aramaic shultana "power," from shelet "have power." His wife, mother, daughter, concubine, or sister is a sultana.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper