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tyrantmore about tyrant

tyrant

 

  3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Tyrant  \Ty"rant\,  v.  i. 
  To  act  like  a  tyrant;  to  play  the  tyrant;  to  tyrannical. 
  [Obs.]  --Fuller. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Tyrant  \Tyr"ant\,  n.  [OE.  tirant,  tiraunt,  tyraunt,  OF  tiran, 
  tirant  (probably  from  confusion  with  the  p.  pr  of  verbs),  F. 
  tyran,  L.  tyrannus,  Gr  ?,  originally,  an  absolute  sovereign, 
  but  afterwards,  a  severe  or  cruel  ruler.] 
  1.  An  absolute  ruler;  a  sovereign  unrestrained  by  law  or 
  constitution;  a  usurper  of  sovereignty. 
 
  Note:  Free  governments  [in  Greece]  having  superseded  the  old 
  hereditary  sovereignties  (basilei^ai),  all  who  obtained 
  absolute  power  in  a  state  were  called  ty\rannoi, 
  tyrants,  or  rather  despots;  --  for  the  term  rather 
  regards  the  irregular  way  in  which  the  power  was 
  gained,  whether  force  or  fraud,  than  the  way  in  which 
  it  was  exercised,  being  applied  to  the  mild 
  Pisistratus  but  not  to  the  despotic  kings  of  Persia. 
  However,  the  word  soon  came  to  imply  reproach,  and  was 
  then  used  like  our  tyrant.  --Liddell  &  Scott. 
 
  2.  Specifically,  a  monarch,  or  other  ruler  or  master,  who 
  uses  power  to  oppress  his  subjects;  a  person  who  exercises 
  unlawful  authority,  or  lawful  authority  in  an  unlawful 
  manner;  one  who  by  taxation,  injustice,  or  cruel 
  punishment,  or  the  demand  of  unreasonable  services, 
  imposes  burdens  and  hardships  on  those  under  his  control, 
  which  law  and  humanity  do  not  authorize,  or  which  the 
  purposes  of  government  do  not  require;  a  cruel  master;  an 
  oppressor.  ``This  false  tyrant,  this  Nero.''  --Chaucer. 
 
  Love,  to  a  yielding  heart,  is  a  king,  but  to  a 
  resisting,  is  a  tyrant.  --Sir  P. 
  Sidney. 
 
  3.  (Zo["o]l.)  Any  one  of  numerous  species  of  American 
  clamatorial  birds  belonging  to  the  family  {Tyrannid[ae]}; 
  --  called  also  {tyrant  bird}. 
 
  Note:  These  birds  are  noted  for  their  irritability  and 
  pugnacity,  and  for  the  courage  with  which  they  attack 
  rapacious  birds  far  exceeding  them  in  size  and 
  strength.  They  are  mostly  plain-colored  birds,  but 
  often  have  a  bright-colored  crown  patch.  A  few  species, 
  as  the  scissorstail,  are  handsomely  colored.  The 
  kingbird  and  pewee  are  familiar  examples. 
 
  {Tyrant  flycatcher}  (Zo["o]l.),  any  one  of  numerous  species 
  of  tyrants  which  have  a  flattened  bill,  toothed  at  the 
  tip,  and  resemble  the  true  flycatchers  in  habits.  The 
  Acadian  flycatcher  ({Empidonax  Acadicus})  and  the 
  vermilion  flycatcher  ({Pyrocephalus  rubineus})  are 
  examples. 
 
  {Tyrant  shrike}  (Zo["o]l.),  any  one  of  numerous  species  of 
  American  tyrants  of  the  genus  {Tyrannus}  having  a  strong 
  toothed  bill  and  resembling  the  strikes  in  habits.  The 
  kingbird  is  an  example. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  tyrant 
  n  :  a  dictator  or  dictatorial  person  [syn:  {autocrat},  {despot}]




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