lord
nounverbtop 1 000 in film dialogue
- United Kingdom//lɔːd//
- United States//loɹd//
- Australia//loːd//
One possessing similar mastery over others; (historical) any feudal superior generally; any nobleman or aristocrat; any chief, prince, or sovereign ruler; in Scotland, a male member of the lowest rank of nobility (the equivalent rank in England is baron)
noun
- 1
obsoleteThe master of the servants of a household; (historical) the master of a feudal manor
Bleſſed is that ſeruant, whome his Lord when he commeth, ſhal finde ſo doing.
Por. ...But now, I was the Lord of this faire manſion, maiſter of my ſeruants, Queene oer my ſelfe[…]
Lords of manors are distinguished from other land-owners with regard to the game.
- 2
archaicThe master of the servants of a household; (historical) the master of a feudal manor The male head of a household, a father or husband.
[…]thou worthie Lord, Of that vnworthie wife that greeteth thee
Pet. Katherine, I charge thee, tell theſe head-ſtrong women, What dutie they doe owe their Lords and huſbands!
Therefore Sarah laughed within her ſelfe, ſaying, After I am waxed old, ſhall I haue pleaſure, my lord being old alſo?
Yes, here I am, my good friend; and here I have been so long, that anywhere else I should think it necessary to apologise; but, the truth is, that I am waiting for my lord and master.
- 3
archaicThe master of the servants of a household; (historical) the master of a feudal manor The owner of a house, piece of land, or other possession
A mightie Lord of Swine!
Turnus[…] Wrench'd from his feeble hold the shining Sword; And plung'd it in the Bosom of its Lord.
Lord, the owner of the land in which a mine is situated is called the ‘lord’.
- 4
One possessing similar mastery over others; (historical) any feudal superior generally; any nobleman or aristocrat; any chief, prince, or sovereign ruler; in Scotland, a male member of the lowest rank of nobility (the equivalent rank in England is baron)
It is a pytuouse case... whan subjectes rebell agaynst their naturall lorde.
Man over men He made not Lord.
- 5
historicalOne possessing similar mastery over others; (historical) any feudal superior generally; any nobleman or aristocrat; any chief, prince, or sovereign ruler; in Scotland, a male member of the lowest rank of nobility (the equivalent rank in England is baron) A feudal tenant holding his manor directly of the king
- 6
One possessing similar mastery over others; (historical) any feudal superior generally; any nobleman or aristocrat; any chief, prince, or sovereign ruler; in Scotland, a male member of the lowest rank of nobility (the equivalent rank in England is baron) A peer of the realm, particularly a temporal one
Men myghten lordis knowe
If such persone bee of the estate of a Lord, as Duc, Marques, Erle, Viscount or Baron.
Princes, and noble Lords: What anſwer ſhall I make to this baſe man?
In origination of our Engliſh name Lord, vvhereby vve and the Scots ſtile all ſuch as are of the Greater Nobilitie i. Barons, as alſo Biſhops, its not eaſie to ſatisfie you.
- 7
obsoleteOne possessing similar mastery over others; (historical) any feudal superior generally; any nobleman or aristocrat; any chief, prince, or sovereign ruler; in Scotland, a male member of the lowest rank of nobility (the equivalent rank in England is baron) A baron or lesser nobleman, as opposed to greater ones
1526, W. Bonde, Pylgrimage of Perfection, i. sig. Bviiiv Farre excellyng the state of lordes, erles, dukes or kynges.
The Marquess played off the two Lords and the Baronet against his former friend.
- 8
One possessing similar mastery in figurative senses (esp. as lord of ~)
O wityng bath god and ill Ȝee suld be lauerds at ȝour will.
The sonne is the lorde of planetes.
Love is Lord of all.
The masterful wind was up and out, shouting and chasing, the lord of the morning.
- 9
One possessing similar mastery in figurative senses (esp. as lord of ~) A magnate of a trade or profession.
The Tobacco Lords were a group of Scottish merchants and slave traders who in the 18th century made enormous fortunes by trading in tobacco.
Oh, Oh! The cotton Lords are tearing!
- 10
The heavenly body considered to possess a dominant influence over an event, time, etc.
The assendent, & eke the lord of the assendent, may be shapen for to be fortunat or infortunat, as thus, a fortunat assendent clepen they whan þat no wykkid planete, as Saturne or Mars, or elles the tail of the dragoun, is in þe hows of the assendent.
- 11
obsoleteA hunchback.
Lord, a very crooked, deformed... Person.
- 12
obsoleteSixpence.
Twenty years ago you might hear a sixpence described as a ‘Lord’ meaning ‘Lord of the Manor’; that is, a tanner.
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kʷel-der.? Proto-Germanic *hlaibaz Proto-West Germanic *hlaib Old English hlāf Proto-Indo-European *wert-der. Proto-Germanic *wardaz Proto-West Germanic *ward Old English weard Old English hlāfweard Old English hlāford Middle English lord English lord From Middle English lord and lorde (attested from the 15th century), from earlier (14th century) lourde and other variants which dropped the intervocalic consonant of earlier lowerd, louerd, loverd, laford, and lhoaverd; from Old English hlāford < hlāfweard, a compound of hlāf (“bread”) + weard (“guardian”); see loaf and ward. The term was already being applied broadly prior to the literary development of Old English and was influenced by its common use to translate Latin dominus. Compare Scots laird (“lord”), preserving a separate vowel development (from northern/Scottish Middle English lard, laverd), the Old English compound hlāf-ǣta (“servant”, literally “bread-eater”), and modern English lady, from Old English hlǣfdīġe (“bread-kneader”). The Middle English word laford was borrowed by Icelandic, where it survives as lávarður. Doublet of hlaford and laird.
verb
- 1
To domineer or act like a lord.
The grisly toadstool grown there might I see, / And loathed paddocks lording on the same.
- 2
To invest with the dignity, power, and privileges of a lord; to grant the title of lord.
He being thus lorded / Not only with what my revenue yielded, / But what my power might else exact, […] / he did believe / He was indeed the Duke
Forms
- plural
- lords
- past tense
- lorded
- past participle
- lorded
- present participle
- lording
- third person singular
- lords
lord · One possessing similar mastery over others; (historical) any feudal superior generally; any nobleman or aristocrat; any chief, prince, or sovereign…
Lord · The Abrahamic deity of the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic…LORD · Typographical variant of Lord, particularly in English…lordship · The state or condition of being a lord.