lord: Meaning and Definition of

lord

Pronunciation: (lôrd), [key]
— n.
  1. a person who has authority, control, or power over others; a master, chief, or ruler.
  2. a person who exercises authority from property rights; an owner of land, houses, etc.
  3. a person who is a leader or has great influence in a chosen profession: the great lords of banking.
  4. a feudal superior; the proprietor of a manor.
  5. a titled nobleman or peer; a person whose ordinary appellation contains by courtesy the title Lord or some higher title.
  6. the Lords Spiritual and Lords Temporal comprising the House of Lords.
  7. (cap.) (in Britain) Lord Mayor of London.
    1. the title of certain high officials (used with some other title, name, or the like):Lord Mayor of London.
    2. the formally polite title of a bishop:Lord Bishop of Durham.
    3. the title informally substituted for marquis, earl, viscount, etc., as in the use of Lord Kitchener for Earl Kitchener.
  8. (cap.) the Supreme Being; God; Jehovah.
  9. (cap.) the Savior, Jesus Christ.
  10. a planet having dominating influence.
—interj.
  1. (often cap.) (used in exclamatory phrases to express surprise, elation, etc.): Lord, what a beautiful day!
—v.
  1. to assume airs of importance and authority; behave arrogantly or dictatorially; domineer: to lord it over the menial workers.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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