lord
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /lɔːd/
ipa: /lɔɹd/
homophone: lored (horse–hoarse merger)
homophone: laud (non-rhotic)
rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)d
Forms: form: lords
Etymology: From Middle English lord and lorde (attested from the 15th century), from earlier (14th century) lourde and other variants which dropped the intervocalic consonant of earlier lowerd, louerd, loverd, laford, and lhoaverd; from Old English hlāford < hlāfweard, a compound of hlāf (“bread”) + weard (“guardian”); see loaf and ward. The term was already being applied broadly prior to the literary development of Old English and was influenced by its common use to translate Latin dominus. Compare Scots laird (“lord”), preserving a separate vowel development (from northern/Scottish Middle English lard, laverd), the Old English compound hlāf-ǣta (“servant”, literally “bread-eater”), and modern English lady, from Old English hlǣfdīġe (“bread-kneader”). The Middle English word laford was borrowed by Icelandic, where it survives as lávarður. Doublet of hlaford and laird.
Senses: examples: text: Bleſſed is that ſeruant, whome his Lord when he commeth, ſhal finde ſo doing.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 24:46:
text: Por. ...But now, I was the Lord
of this faire manſion, maiſter of my ſeruants,
Queene oer my ſelfe[…]
ref: c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii], line 167:
text: Lords of manors are distinguished from other land-owners with regard to the game.
ref: 1766, William Blackstone, chapter 418, in Commentaries on the Laws of England, book II (Of the Rights of Things), Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Clarendon Press, →OCLC:
glosses: The master of the servants of a household; (historical) the master of a feudal manor
examples: text: […]thou worthie Lord,
Of that vnworthie wife that greeteth thee
ref: 1594, William Shakespeare, Lucrece (First Quarto), London: […] Richard Field, for Iohn Harrison, […], →OCLC:
text: Pet. Katherine, I charge thee, tell theſe head-ſtrong women,
What dutie they doe owe their Lords and huſbands!
ref: c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii], line 131:
text: Therefore Sarah laughed within her ſelfe, ſaying, After I am waxed old, ſhall I haue pleaſure, my lord being old alſo?
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 18:12:
text: Yes, here I am, my good friend; and here I have been so long, that anywhere else I should think it necessary to apologise; but, the truth is, that I am waiting for my lord and master.
ref: 1815 December (indicated as 1816), [Jane Austen], chapter XVI, in Emma: […], volume III, London: […] [Charles Roworth and James Moyes] for John Murray, →OCLC, page 300:
glosses: The master of the servants of a household; (historical) the master of a feudal manor
The male head of a household, a father or husband.
examples: text: A mightie Lord of Swine!
ref: ante''' 1637, Ben Jonson, Sad Shepherd, ii. i. 36
text: Turnus[…]
Wrench'd from his feeble hold the shining Sword;
And plung'd it in the Bosom of its Lord.
ref: 1697, Virgil, “The Twelfth Book of the Æneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
text: Lord, the owner of the land in which a mine is situated is called the ‘lord’.
ref: 1874, J. H. Collins, “Principles of Metal Mining”, in Gloss, published 1875, 139/2:
glosses: The master of the servants of a household; (historical) the master of a feudal manor
The owner of a house, piece of land, or other possession
examples: text: It is a pytuouse case... whan subjectes rebell agaynst their naturall lorde.
ref: 1530, John Palsgrave, Lesclarcissement, 680/1:
text: Man over men He made not Lord.
ref: 1667, John Milton, “Book XII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
glosses: One possessing similar mastery over others; (historical) any feudal superior generally; any nobleman or aristocrat; any chief, prince, or sovereign ruler; in Scotland, a male member of the lowest rank of nobility (the equivalent rank in England is baron)
glosses: One possessing similar mastery over others; (historical) any feudal superior generally; any nobleman or aristocrat; any chief, prince, or sovereign ruler; in Scotland, a male member of the lowest rank of nobility (the equivalent rank in England is baron)
A feudal tenant holding his manor directly of the king
examples: text: Men myghten lordis knowe
ref: ante''' 1420, T. Hoccleve, De Regimine Principum, 442
roman: By there arraye, from oþir folke.
text: If such persone bee of the estate of a Lord, as Duc, Marques, Erle, Viscount or Baron.
ref: 1453, Rolls of Parliament, V. 266/2
text: Princes, and noble Lords:
What anſwer ſhall I make to this baſe man?
ref: 1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene 1], line 18:
text: In origination of our Engliſh name Lord, vvhereby vve and the Scots ſtile all ſuch as are of the Greater Nobilitie i. Barons, as alſo Biſhops, its not eaſie to ſatisfie you.
ref: 1614, John Selden, chapter III, in Titles of Honor, London: […] William Stansby for Iohn Helme, […], →OCLC, 1st part, page 59:
text: The Englishman of to-day still dearly loves a lord.
ref: 1900 July 21, Daily Express:
glosses: One possessing similar mastery over others; (historical) any feudal superior generally; any nobleman or aristocrat; any chief, prince, or sovereign ruler; in Scotland, a male member of the lowest rank of nobility (the equivalent rank in England is baron)
A peer of the realm, particularly a temporal one
examples: text: 1526, W. Bonde, Pylgrimage of Perfection, i. sig. Bviiiv
Farre excellyng the state of lordes, erles, dukes or kynges.
text: The Marquess played off the two Lords and the Baronet against his former friend.
ref: 1826, Benjamin Disraeli, Vivian Grey, II. iii. iii. 26:
glosses: One possessing similar mastery over others; (historical) any feudal superior generally; any nobleman or aristocrat; any chief, prince, or sovereign ruler; in Scotland, a male member of the lowest rank of nobility (the equivalent rank in England is baron)
A baron or lesser nobleman, as opposed to greater ones
examples: text: O wityng bath god and ill Ȝee suld be lauerds at ȝour will.
ref: ante''' 1300, Cursor Mundi, 782
text: The sonne is the lorde of planetes.
ref: 1398, Bartholomew de Glanville, translated by John Trevisa, De Proprietatibus Rerum, published 1495, viii. xvi. 322:
text: Love is Lord of all.
ref: 1697, Virgil, “The Third Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
text: The masterful wind was up and out, shouting and chasing, the lord of the morning.
ref: 1895, Kenneth Graham, The Golden Age, London, page 8:
text: But are you still master of your domain?
I am king of the county. You?
Lord of the manor.
ref: 1992 November 18, Larry David, Seinfeld, 4.11: "The Contest"
glosses: One possessing similar mastery in figurative senses (esp. as lord of ~)
examples: text: The Tobacco Lords were a group of Scottish merchants and slave traders who in the 18th century made enormous fortunes by trading in tobacco.
text: Oh, Oh! The cotton Lords are tearing!
ref: 1823, W. Cobbett, Rural Rides, published 1885, I. 399:
glosses: One possessing similar mastery in figurative senses (esp. as lord of ~)
A magnate of a trade or profession.
examples: text: The assendent, & eke the lord of the assendent, may be shapen for to be fortunat or infortunat, as thus, a fortunat assendent clepen they whan þat no wykkid planete, as Saturne or Mars, or elles the tail of the dragoun, is in þe hows of the assendent.
ref: c. 1391, Geoffrey Chaucer, Treatise on the Astrolabe, ii. §4:
topics: astrology
human-sciences
mysticism
philosophy
sciences
glosses: The heavenly body considered to possess a dominant influence over an event, time, etc.
examples: text: Lord, a very crooked, deformed... Person.
ref: 1699, B.E., A new dictionary of the terms ancient and modern of the canting crew
glosses: A hunchback.
examples: text: Twenty years ago you might hear a sixpence described as a ‘Lord’ meaning ‘Lord of the Manor’; that is, a tanner.
ref: 1933 November 16, Times Literary Supplement, 782/1:
qualifier: via Cockney rhyming slang
glosses: Sixpence.
Synonyms: sense: master, owner
word: drighten
sense: master, owner
word: possessor
sense: master, owner
word: proprietor
sense: master, owner
word: sovereign
Derived terms: banner lord
belord
chief lord
crime lord
dragonlord
drug lord
druglord
drunk as a lord
feudal lord
ganglord
harvest lord
House of Lords
Irish lord
laird
landlord
law lord
lay lord
liege lord
lord and master
lord-dom
lorddom
lord-fish
lordful
lordhood
lord in gross
lord-in-waiting
lordish
lord it over
lordkin
lordless
lordlet
lordlike
lordliness
lordling
lordly
Lord Mayor
lord mesne
lordness
lord of all one surveys
lord of gingerbread
lord of the bedchamber
lord of the flies
lord of the manor
lord of the rings
lordolatry
lord paramount
lord protector
lordship
lords of creation
Lords Spiritual
Lords Temporal
lord superior
lordy
lort
mesne lord
moneylord
overlord
shiplord
slumlord
sweatlord
timelord
unlord
warlord
Related terms: lady