In some systems of government, a governor is a person who is in charge of the political administration of a region or state.
He was governor of the province in the late 1970s. [+ of]
The governor addressed the New Jersey Assembly.
Synonyms: leader, administrator, ruler, head More Synonyms of governor
2. countable noun
A governor is a member of a committee which controls an organization such as a school or a hospital.
Governors are using the increased powers given to them to act against incompetentheadteachers.
...the chairman of the BBC board of governors.
3. countable noun
In some British institutions, the governor is the most senior official, who is in charge of the institution.
The incident was reported to the prison governor.
governor in British English
(ˈɡʌvənə)
noun
1.
a person who governs
2.
the ruler or chief magistrate of a colony, province, etc
3.
the representative of the Crown in a British colony
4. British
the senior administrator or head of a society, prison, etc
5.
the chief executive of any state in the US
6.
a device that controls the speed of an engine, esp by regulating the supply of fuel, etc, either to limit the maximum speed or to maintain a constant speed
7. Also called: head grammar
a.
a word in a phrase or clause that is the principal item and gives the function of the whole, as hat in the big red hat
b.
(as modifier)
a governor noun
8. British informal
a name or title of respect for a father, employer, etc
▶ Related adjective: gubernatorial
governor in American English
(ˈgʌvənər; ˈgʌvərnər)
noun
1.
a person who governs
; esp.,
a.
a person appointed to govern a dependency, province, town, fort, etc.
b. US
the elected head of any state of the U.S.
c.
any of the group of persons who direct an organization or institution
the board of governors of a hospital
d. Chiefly British
the person in charge of an organization or institution, as a prison
2.
a mechanical device for automatically controlling the speed of an engine or motor as by regulating the intake of fuel, steam, etc.
3. British, Informal
a person having authority; esp., one's father or employer
as a term of address, somewhat old-fashioned
Word origin
ME governour < OFr governeor < L gubernator, a pilot, steersman, governor
governor in Automotive Engineering
(gʌvərnər)
Word forms: (regular plural) governors
noun
(Automotive engineering: Vehicle components, Engine, transmission, and exhaust)
A governor is a device which limits the maximum speed of an engine, especially a diesel engine.
COLLOCATIONS: speed ~
A lot of pickup trucks have a governor on the speed limit.
An idling speed governor is often fitted to ensure that the idling rpm does not vary with changing engineloads.
The governor provides automatic control of engine speed at idle and regulates the engine at highspeeds.
governor in Mechanical Engineering
(gʌvərnər)
Word forms: (regular plural) governors
noun
(Mechanical engineering: Machinery and components)
A governor is a device that controls the speed of an engine.
Fly-ball governors are used to maintain constant speed in a flywheel.
Diesel engines with traditional mechanical injector systems have an integral governor which prevents over-speeding the engine.
A governor is a device that controls the speed of an engine.
Examples of 'governor' in a sentence
governor
They tend to be primary school governors.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The moves are likely to alarm prison governors.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The advanced security checks will stop extremists becoming school governors or charity chiefs.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
You should write to the chairman of the governors as a matter of urgency.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
At last there was something that both the committee and the governor could agree on.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
It should be a question for the governors of individual schools.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Many of the prison governors were appointed directly from service in the armed forces.
Coyle, Andrew & Stern, Vivien The Prisons We Deserve (1994)
The chairman of governors cannot brush you off.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
As was having to resign as a school governor at a local school.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Give prison governors more freedom and establish league tables for jail performance?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
One claimed that a chairman of governors had been reduced to tears by hostile questions from one inspector.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The civil governor acted as intermediary.
Shubert, Adrian A Social History of Modern Spain (1991)
Barbados had the oldest system of local representative partnership in the form of a governor's executive committee.
Grenville, J. A. S. The Collins History of the World in the 20th Century (1994)
A male school governor was more blunt.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Each colony had a governor.
Garraty, John Arthur The American Nation: A History of the United States to 1877 (1995)
We will put governors in charge, giving them the autonomy they need to run prisons in the way they think best.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
I was recently a member of a primary school governors' panel charged with appointing a new deputy head.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
His fellow members included the governors of Kentucky and Tennessee.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Below them sit so-called provincial governors, in charge of smaller chunks of territory.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
First, when they vote, board members are governors.
Christianity Today (2000)
You could also make a formal complaint to a special governors' committee, which is supposed to be independent.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
A spokesman for his department confirmed: 'This governor is acting within the code.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
In other languages
governor
British English: governor NOUN
In some systems of government, a governor is a person who is in charge of the political administration of a region or state.
He was governor of the province.
American English: governor
Brazilian Portuguese: governador
Chinese: 州长
European Spanish: gobernador
French: gouverneur
German: Gouverneur
Italian: governatore
Japanese: 知事
Korean: 총독
European Portuguese: governador
Latin American Spanish: gobernador
Chinese translation of 'governor'
governor
(ˈɡʌvənəʳ)
n(c)
[of state]州长(長) (zhōuzhǎng)
[of colony]总(總)督 (zǒngdū)
[of bank, school, hospital]董事 (dǒngshì)
⇒ the Board of Governors理事会會 (lǐshìhuì) (个(個), gè)
(Brit)[of prison]狱(獄)长(長) (yùzhǎng)
(noun)
Definition
the chief political administrator of a region, such as a US state or a colony
the governor of the province in the late 1970s
Synonyms
leader
the leader of the Conservative Party
administrator
He worked for 34 years as an administrator with the company.
ruler
He was an indecisive ruler.
head
heads of government from more than 100 countries
minister
director
He is the director of the unit.
manager
a retired bank manager
chief
The new leader is the deputy chief of the territory's defence force.
officer
executive
a senior bank executive
boss (informal)
He cannot stand his boss.
commander
The commander and some of his troops had been released.
controller
supervisor
a full-time job as a supervisor at a factory
superintendent
superintendent of the bank's East African branches
mandarin
comptroller
functionary
overseer
Officials agreed to appoint a federal overseer to run the agency's daily business.