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 Renaissance2 a: a ruler with absolute power and authority b: a person exercising power tyrannically