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despot

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: Despot

English

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Etymology

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From Middle French despote, from Old French despote, from Medieval Latin despota, from Ancient Greek δεσπότης (despótēs, lord, master, owner).[1] Cognate with Sanskrit दम्पति (dámpati).

Pronunciation

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  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈdɛs.pɒt/, /ˈdɛz.pɒt/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈdɛs.pət/
  • Audio (Canada):(file)

Noun

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despot (plural despots)

  1. A ruler with absolute power; a tyrant.
    • 2009, Steven Rosefielde, Red Holocaust, page 240:
      The Red Holocaust is best interpreted in this light as the bitter fruit of an[sic] utopian gambit that was socially misengineered into a dystopic nightmare by despots in humanitarian disguise.
  2. (historical) A title awarded to senior members of the imperial family in the late Byzantine Empire, and claimed by various independent or semi-autonomous rulers in the Balkans (12th to 15th centuries)

Derived terms

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Translations

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References

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  1. ^ Fortson, Benjamin W. (2004) Indo-European Language and Culture: An Introduction, first edition, Oxford: Blackwell

Anagrams

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Danish

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Etymology

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From Ancient Greek δεσπότης (despótēs, lord, master).

Noun

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despot c (singular definite despoten, plural indefinite despoter)

  1. despot

Inflection

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Synonyms

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Derived terms

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Further reading

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Romanian

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Greek δεσπότης (despótis).

Noun

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despot m (plural despoți)

  1. despot

Declension

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singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative-accusative despot despotul despoți despoții
genitive-dative despot despotului despoți despoților
vocative despotule despoților

Serbo-Croatian

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Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /děspot/
  • Hyphenation: des‧pot

Noun

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dèspot m (Cyrillic spelling дѐспот)

  1. despot

Declension

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Swedish

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Ancient Greek δεσπότης (despótēs).

Noun

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despot c

  1. despot

Declension

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Further reading

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