emperor
/'empərə/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- The male sovereign ruler of an empire: An emperor is the supreme male monarch who rules over an empire, a political unit comprising multiple territories and peoples, often under a single supreme authority. This title is typically higher in rank than a king.
- A large, richly colored butterfly: Refers to any of various large, often brightly colored butterflies, especially those of the family Nymphalidae, such as the purple emperor.
- A large moth of temperate Eurasian forests: Specifically refers to the emperor moth (Saturnia pavonia), characterized by heavily scaled, transparent wings.
- A red table grape variety from California: A specific cultivar of grape used for eating, known for its red color.
Examples of Usage
- Noun (Ruler):
- The emperor issued a decree that affected all provinces of his vast empire.
- Historians studied the reign of the Roman emperor Augustus.
- Noun (Butterfly/Moth):
- We spotted a magnificent purple emperor fluttering near the oak trees.
- The emperor moth is known for its distinctive eye-spots on the wings.
- Noun (Grape):
- These sweet, seedless emperor grapes are perfect for a fruit salad.
Advanced Usage
- "The emperor's new clothes": A phrase originating from a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, used to describe a situation where people are afraid to criticize something or point out an obvious truth for fear of appearing stupid.
- The report was full of flaws, but due to the CEO's enthusiasm, it was a case of the emperor's new clothes; no one dared to criticize it.
- "To meet one's Waterloo" (often associated with Emperor Napoleon): To suffer a final, decisive defeat.
- After a long winning streak, the chess champion met his Waterloo against the young prodigy.
Variants and Related Words
- Empress (n): The female ruler of an empire or the wife/widow of an emperor.
- The empress was known for her charitable works.
- Imperial (adj): Relating to an empire or an emperor.
- The palace was built on an imperial scale.
- Emperorship (n): The office, rank, or period of rule of an emperor.
Synonyms
- Sovereign: A supreme ruler, especially a monarch.
- Monarch: A sovereign head of state, such as a king, queen, or emperor.
- Potentate: A monarch or ruler, especially an autocratic one.
Related Phrases
- Emperor penguin: The largest species of penguin, native to Antarctica ().
- Emperor penguins huddle together to survive the Antarctic winter.
- Shadow emperor: A person who exercises real power without holding the official title.
- The general was the shadow emperor, controlling the government from behind the scenes.
Related Idioms
- Nero fiddled while Rome burned: Used to describe someone who is frivolously occupied during an emergency or crisis (Nero was a Roman emperor).
- The managers were rearranging office furniture while the company was failing—it was like Nero fiddling while Rome burned.
Noun
- large richly colored butterfly
- large moth of temperate forests of Eurasia having heavily scaled transparent wings
- red table grape of California
- the male ruler of an empire