Main Entry: des·pot

Pronunciation: \ˈdes-pət, -ˌpät\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle French despote, from Greek despotēs master, lord, autocrat, from des- (akin to domos house) + -potēs (akin to posis husband); akin to Sanskrit dampati lord of the house — more at dome, potent

Date: 1585

1 a : a Byzantine emperor or prince b : a bishop or patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church c : an Italian hereditary prince or military leader during the Renaissance
2 a : a ruler with absolute power and authority b : a person exercising power tyrannically