1
a
: a provincial governor in the Ottoman Empire
b
: the former native ruler of Tunis or Tunisia
2
—used as a courtesy title in Turkey and Egypt
Examples of bey in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Zog is for his grandfather, an Ottoman bey, or chieftain, who became prime minister of Albania in 1922 and upgraded himself to president three years later, then to king in 1928.
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Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2022
Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bey.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Turkish, gentleman, chief
First Known Use
1537, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Dictionary Entries Near bey
Cite this Entry
“Bey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bey. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on bey
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bey
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