bey
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bey
(bā)n.
1. A provincial governor in the Ottoman Empire.
2.
a. A ruler of the former kingdom of Tunis.
b. Used as the title for such a ruler.
3. Used formerly as a title for various Turkish and Egyptian dignitaries.
[Turkish; akin to Old Turkic beg, chieftain, lord, perhaps of Middle Iranian origin (akin to Old Persian baga-, god, and Sanskrit bhagaḥ, gracious dispenser of wealth, lord, good fortune; see Bhagavad-Gita), or from Middle Chinese pεjk, lord, father's elder brother (source of Mandarin bó; from Old Chinese prâk, elder, clan head).]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
bey
(beɪ)n
Also called: beg 1. (Historical Terms) (in the Ottoman Empire) a title given to senior officers, provincial governors, certain other officials or nobles, and (sometimes) Europeans
2. (Sociology) (in modern Turkey) a title of address, corresponding to Mr
[C16: Turkish: lord]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
bey
(beɪ)n., pl. beys.
1. a provincial governor in the Ottoman Empire.
2. (formerly) a title of respect for Turkish dignitaries.
3. (formerly) the title of the native ruler of Tunis or Tunisia.
[1590–1600; < Turkish, by-form of earlier beg subordinate chief, head of a clan]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Noun | 1. | ![]() adult male, man - an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman); "there were two women and six men on the bus" |
2. | ![]() governor - the head of a state government |
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