Main Entry: ¹ex·arch

Pronunciation: \ˈek-ˌsärk\

Function: noun

Etymology: Late Latin exarchus, from Late Greek exarchos, from Greek, leader, from exarchein to begin, take the lead, from ex- + archein to rule, begin — more at arch-

Date: 1588

1 : a Byzantine viceroy
2 : an Eastern bishop ranking below a patriarch and above a metropolitan; specifically : the head of an independent church

— ex·ar·chal \ek-ˈsär-kəl\ adjective

— ex·arch·ate \ˈek-ˌsär-kət\ noun

— ex·ar·chy \ˈek-ˌsär-kē\ noun