vizier
UK /ˈvɪzɪə/ · US /vɪˈzɪɹ/ noun
Forms viziers vezir vazir wasir wazir vizir vizeer guazil
- noun (history) A high-ranking official or minister in an Islamic government, especially in the Ottoman Empire.
- noun (history) The highest-ranking official or minister in ancient Egypt or Ebla; a chief administrator or a chancellor.
- noun (history) An ancient Mesopotamian civil servant, the sukkal (𒈛 (sukkal)).
- noun A vicegerent, viceroy.
- noun (chess) A fairy chess piece that can only be moved one space up, down, left or right.
Etymology
From Ottoman Turkish وزیر (vezir) (Turkish vezir) (via French vizir), from Arabic وَزِير (wazīr, “helper, aide, minister”, literally “one who bears (the burden of office)”). Doublet of wazir.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A councilor of state; a high executive officer in Turkey and other Oriental countries. [Written also visier, vizir, and vizer.]
Etymology [Ar. wezir, wazir, properly, a bearer of burdens, a porter, from wazara to bear a burden: cf. F. vizir, visir. Cf. Alguazil.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “vizier”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details