mayor
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈmɛə/
ipa: /ˈmeɪ.ə/
ipa: /ˈmeɪ.əɹ/
ipa: /ˈmɛɚ/
homophone: mare (monosyllabic form)
rhymes: -ɛə(ɹ)
rhymes: -eɪə(ɹ)
Forms: form: mayors
form: maiere
form: maieur
form: mar
form: mayere
form: meer
form: mehir
form: meir
form: meire
form: mer
form: mere
form: meyhir
form: meyr
form: maier
form: mayer
form: mayr
form: meyer
form: meyre
form: maiour
form: mair
form: maire
form: mare
form: mayre
form: maior
form: major
form: mawer
form: majer
form: mayour
Etymology: From Middle English maire, from Old French maire (“head of a city or town government”), a substantivation of Old French maire (“greater”), from Latin maior (“bigger, greater, superior”), comparative of magnus (“big, great”). Doublet of major. Cognate with Old High German meior (“estate manager, steward, bailiff”) (modern German Meier), Middle Dutch meier (“administrator, steward, bailiff”) (modern Dutch meier). Displaced Old English burgealdor (“a ruler of a city, mayor, citizen”), burhġerēfa (“boroughreeve”), and portġerēfa (“portreeve”).
Senses: examples: text: The office of mayor has been the tomb of many political ambitions.
ref: 1907 Sept. 12, The Nation, page 222:
text: When the burdens of the Presidency seem unusually heavy, I always remind myself that it could be worse—I could be a mayor of a city instead.
ref: 1966 Mar. 31, Lyndon B. Johnson, Remarks before the National Legislative Conference of the National League of Cities:
text: While Buckley would later privately describe Chicago's Mayor Daley as a Fascist, he was not willing to let Vidal use the police to vindicate the demonstrators, who, in Buckley's mind, had provoked much of the violence.
ref: 1988, John B. Judis, William F. Buckley Jr.: Patron Saint of the Conservatives, page p. 291:
text: Quimby: I propose that I use what's left of the town treasury to move to a more prosperous town and run for mayor and once selected I will send for the rest of you.
All: Boo!
ref: 1993 Dec. 16, Bill Oakley et al., “"$pringfield"”, in The Simpsons, season 5, episode 10:
text: Carver: What the hell d'you say to him?
Hauk: I said "Mr Mayor that's a good strong dick you've got there and I see you know how to use it." I didn't say shit!
ref: 2006, Ed Burns et al., “"Soft Eyes"”, in The Wire, season 4, episode 2:
glosses: The chief executive of the municipal government of a city, borough, etc., formerly (historical) usually appointed as a caretaker by European royal courts but now usually appointed or elected locally.
glosses: Ellipsis of mayor of the palace, the royal stewards of the Frankish Empire.
glosses: Synonym of mair, various former officials in the Kingdom of Scotland.
synonyms: word: mair
word: various former officials in the Kingdom of Scotland
glosses: A member of a city council.
glosses: A high justice, an important judge.
glosses: A largely ceremonial position in some municipal governments that presides over the city council while a contracted city manager holds actual executive power.
examples: text: In some parts the burlesque civic official was designated ‘Mayor of the Pig Market’.
ref: 1902 May 22, Westminster Gazette, p. 2
text: The Mayor of Castro Street, that was Harvey's unofficial title.
ref: 1982, Randy Shilts, The Mayor of Castro Street
glosses: A local VIP, a muckamuck or big shot reckoned to lead some local group.
Synonyms: sense: when distinguished
word: mayoress
sense: head of a town
word: burgomaster
sense: head of a town
english: of boroughs
translation: of boroughs
word: boroughmaster
sense: head of a town
word: boroughreeve
sense: head of a town
word: portreeve
sense: head of a town
alt: of Scottish burghs & historical French bourgs
word: provost
sense: head of a town
english: of certain Scottish burghs
translation: of certain Scottish burghs
word: Lord Provost
sense: head of a town
word: praetor
Hyponyms: word: lord mayor
english: male mayor
translation: male mayor
word: Lord Mayor
word: mayoress
word: lady mayor
english: female mayor
translation: female mayor
word: Lady Mayor
Derived terms: lady mayor
lord mayor
mayoral
mayoralty
mayor-choosing
mayor-corn
mayor-council
mayordom
mayoress
mayorhood
mayorial
mayorlet
mayorly
mayor-making
mayor's banquet
mayor's court
mayor's feast
mayorsfeud
mayorship
mayor's peer
mayor-town
mayory
supermayor
weak mayor