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• kaiser
  kaiser

  noun

  a German emperor.
• Kaiser
  Kaiser

  noun

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

kaiser

¹ American  

[kahy-zer] / ˈkaɪ zər /

noun

• kaisers
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• kaiserdom
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• kaisers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of kaiser

1150–1200; < German ≪ Latin Caesar emperor, special use of proper name ( see 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

See Examples For:

kaiser Kaiser kaisers

While the kaiser could appoint or dismiss government ministers and was “consulted” on important matters, he had little or no control over the daily affairs of state.

From Salon ● Mar. 15, 2026

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

Anda had built a sandwich with slices of rare roast beef, which were layered inside a housemade kaiser roll, the whole thing drizzled with “atomic cheese whiz” and slathered with Ranch mayo.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 14, 2020

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

UnitedHealthcare has about 8.4 million Medicare Advantage members, while Humana has about 7.2 million and Kaiser Permanente has more than 1.9 million.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026

Healthcare provider Kaiser Permanente said it will give ailing Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital a $25-million grant to help expand its overcrowded emergency department.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

Iran has a clear geopolitical motive and a history of targeting the water sector, and the fact that the attacks were readily detected makes a stealthier adversary like China less likely, Kaiser said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026

The study was carried out by researchers from Kaiser Permanente, the Public Health Institute's Getting it Right from the Start program, the University of California, San Francisco, and the University of Southern California.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 28, 2026

Kaiser Wilhelm, surrounded by his military entourage, always appeared in the medal-bedecked uniform of the “All Highest War Lord” at the constant parades and celebrations of past military victories.

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

World War I demolished empires and destroyed kings, kaisers and sultans.

From New York Times ● Nov. 9, 2018

Latvians have fled the armies of Vikings, a Swedish king, kaisers, czars and czarinas, the general secretary of the Communist Party’s Central Committee, and the Führer.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 10, 2017

The war destroyed kings, kaisers, czars and sultans; it demolished empires; it introduced chemical weapons, tanks and airborne bombing; it brought millions of women into the work force, hastening their legal right to vote.

From New York Times ● Jun. 26, 2014

The last of the purported kaisers today had apparently abdicated his throne, after using it ... to get married to a socially prominent New Orleans woman .

From Time Magazine Archive

He was one of the worst kaisers ever known—could have done Opera Singing much better—and a sad sight to Bohemia.

From The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 07 by Rossiter Johnson