definitions

tzar

[ zahr, tsahr ]
/ zɑr, tsɑr /
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR tzar ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

czar.

Nearby words

tyva, tyzine, tz, tz'u hsi, tzaddik, tzar, tzara, tzardom, tzarevich, tzarevna, tzarina

Definition for tzar (2 of 2)

czar

or tsar, tzar

[ zahr, tsahr ]
/ zɑr, tsɑr /

noun

an emperor or king.
(often initial capital letter) the former emperor of Russia.
an autocratic ruler or leader.
any person exercising great authority or power in a particular field: a czar of industry.

Origin of czar

1545–55; < Russian tsar', Old Russian tsĭsarĭ emperor, king (akin to Old Church Slavonic tsěsarĭ) < Gothic kaisar emperor (< Greek or Latin); Greek kaîsar < Latin Caesar Caesar
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for tzar

British Dictionary definitions for tzar (1 of 2)

tzar

/ (zɑː) /

noun

a less common spelling of tsar

Derived Forms

tzarism, noun

British Dictionary definitions for tzar (2 of 2)

czar

/ (zɑː) /

noun

a variant spelling (esp US) of tsar

Derived Forms

czardom, noun
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

Culture definitions for tzar

czar

[ (zahr, tsahr) ]

The title of rulers or emperors of Russia from the sixteenth century until the Russian Revolution. The czars ruled as absolute monarchs (see absolute monarchy) until the early twentieth century, when a parliament was established in Russia. Czar can also be spelled tsar.

Note

The term czar is sometimes applied generally to a powerful leader or to a government administrator with wide-ranging powers.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.