czar

views updated Jun 08 2018

czar / zär; (t)sär/ (also tsar or tzar) • n. 1. variant spelling of tsar.2. a person with great authority or power in a particular area: America's new drug czar.DERIVATIVES: czar·dom / -dəm/ n.czar·ism / -ˌizəm/ n.czar·ist / -ist/ n. & adj.

czar

views updated Jun 11 2018

czar, tzar, tsar emperor of Russia. XVI. Russ. tsar', ult. repr. L. Caesar through the medium of Gmc., in which the word meant ‘emperor’ (cf. MLG. ke(y)ser, OHG. keisar, ON. keisari, Goth. kaisar).