pharaoh
pharaoh Lexical Profile
pharaoh Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A supreme ruler or monarch of ancient Egypt, traditionally regarded by subjects as both a political leader and a divine intermediary between the gods and humanity.
"Archaeologists discovered a finely carved limestone statue of the pharaoh inside the burial chamber."
An autocratic, tyrannical, or domineering leader who exercises absolute power.
"Critics accused the corporate executive of running the department like a modern-day pharaoh."
Word Nuance & Usage
The word is frequently misspelled as 'pharoah'; the correct spelling places the 'a' before the 'o'. Do not confuse it with the homophone 'faro', which is a banking card game.
• Rhymes for pharaoh
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed via Late Latin and Ancient Greek from Biblical Hebrew 'Par'oh', which ultimately derives from the Ancient Egyptian compound 'pr-aa', literally meaning 'great house' (originally referring to the royal palace before becoming the title of the monarch during the New Kingdom).