governor

English Online Dictionary. What means governor‎? What does governor mean?

English

Alternative forms

• gouernour, gouvernor, gouvernour, governer, governour (all obsolete)
• guvnah, guvnuh (both informal)

Etymology

From Middle English governour, from Old French gouvreneur, from Latin gubernator, from Ancient Greek κυβερνήτης (kubernḗtēs, “steersman, pilot, guide”), from κυβερνάω (kubernáō, “to steer, to drive, to guide, to act as a pilot”), of disputed origin. Doublet of gubernator.

Pronunciation

• (UK, non-rhotic) IPA^(key): /ˈɡʌv(ə)nə(ɹ)/
• (US, rhotic) IPA^(key): /ˈɡʌvɚnɚ/
• (US, non-rhotic) IPA^(key): /ˈɡʌvənə(ɹ)/
• (US, rhotic, r-dissimilation) IPA^(key): /ˈɡʌvənɚ/

Noun

governor (plural governors, feminine governess)

1. (politics) The chief executive officer of a first-level division of a country.
   • 1999, Karen O'Connor, The essentials of American government: continuity and change, p 17

     Younger voters are more libertarian in political philosophy than older voters and are credited with the success of libertarian governor Jesse Ventura of Minnesota

2. A device which regulates or controls some action of a machine through automatic feedback.
3. A member of a decision-making for an organization or entity (including some public agencies) similar to or equivalent to a board of directors (used especially for banks); a member of the board of governors.
   • Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, www.federalreserve.gov (November 6, 2009)

     The seven members of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate.

4. (informal) Father.
5. (informal) Boss; employer; gaffer.
6. (UK, informal, dated) Term of address to a man; guv'nor.
7. (grammar) A constituent of a phrase that governs another.
8. (dated) One who has the care or guardianship of a young man; a tutor; a guardian.
9. (nautical) A pilot; a steersman.

Synonyms

• (head of a province): viceroy (of large divisions of a kingdom or empire); proconsul (of Roman regions, historical); bailiff, seneschal, intendant (of French regions, historical); tao tai (obsolete), circuit intendant, intendant, daotai (of Chinese regions, historical); provost (obsolete); gubernator (now humorous)

Derived terms

Related terms

Descendants

Translations

Middle English

Noun

governor

1. Alternative form of governour