tsar

Etymology

Borrowed from Russian царь (carʹ), from Old East Slavic цьсарь (cĭsarĭ), from Proto-Slavic *cěsařь, from a Germanic language, from Proto-Germanic *kaisaraz, from Latin Caesar. Doublet of kaiser and Caesar. The spelling tsar began to replace the older czar in the nineteenth century. Compare Byzantine Greek Τζαῖσαρ (Tzaîsar).

noun

  1. (historical) An emperor of Russia (1547 to 1917) and of some South Slavic states.
    and why, in the name of common sense, should the English call the Czar (tsar) of Russia raze? 1832-08-01, W. Barnes, “On the Origin of Language”, in Gentleman's Magazine, London, page 129
  2. (figurative) A person with great power; an autocrat.

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