baron
/ˈbæɹən/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.88 in modern English
7
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A male member of the lowest rank of English nobility (the equivalent rank in Scotland is lord).
noun
A person of great power in society, especially in business and politics.
noun
A prisoner who gains power and influence by lending or selling goods such as tobacco.
British usage; Slang
noun
A baron of beef, a cut made up of a double sirloin.
noun
Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the genus Euthalia.
name
A surname from French
Example Sentences
- "railroad baron"
- "tech baron"
- "There were a few exotics among them — some South American boys, sons of Argentine beef barons, one or two Russians, and even a Siamese prince, or someone who was described as a prince."
- "British journalists shun complete respectability, feeling a duty to be ready to savage the mighty, or rummage through their bins. Elsewhere in Europe, government contracts and subsidies ensure that press barons will only defy the mighty so far."
- "The first thing a baron does is to accumulate a supply of tobacco. He spends every penny he can earn on laying it in […]"
- "Nevertheless, from my own agonies of the first few months, after which I did not miss smoking at all, I could appreciate the need of others. It was in this atmosphere of craving that the 'barons' thrived. Barons are prisoners who lend tobacco."
Etymology
From Middle English baroun, from Old French baron, from Latin barōnem, from Proto-West Germanic *barō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- (“to bear”). Cognate with Old High German *baro (“human being, man, freeman”), Old English bora (“a man who bears responsibility, one who is in charge, a ruler”), and perhaps to Old English beorn (“man, warrior”). Used in early Germanic law in the sense of "man, human being". A Celtic origin has also been suggested; see the quote under sense 3 of Latin barō. However, the OED takes the hypothetical Proto-Celtic *bar- (“hero”) to be a figment.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈbæɹən/
- British English: /ˈbæɹən/