a person charged with the direction or control of an institution, society, etc.: the governors of a bank; the governor of a prison.
Also called governor general. the representative of the crown, as in the Commonwealth of Nations.
a ruler or chief magistrate appointed to govern a province, town, fort, or the like.
Machinery. a device for maintaining uniform speed regardless of changes of load, as by regulating the supply of fuel or working fluid.
BritishInformal.
one's father.
one's employer.
any man of superior rank or status.
Origin of governor
1250–1300; Middle English governour <Old French governeor, gouverneur <Latin gubernātōrem, accusative of gubernātor, equivalent to gubernā(re) to steer, govern + -tor -tor
pronunciation note for governor
In governor, the process of dissimilation—the tendency for neighboring like sounds to become unlike or for one of them to disappear entirely—commonly results in the loss of the first [r] /r/ of [guhv-er-ner], /ˈgʌv ər nər/, producing the pronunciation [guhv-uh-ner]. /ˈgʌv ə nər/. This pronunciation is heard even in regions where postvocalic [r] /r/ is not usually dropped. A further loss, of the medial unstressed vowel, results in [guhv-ner]. /ˈgʌv nər/. All three pronunciations are standard. See colonel, February, library.
OTHER WORDS FROM governor
sub·gov·er·nor,nounun·der·gov·er·nor,noun
Words nearby governor
government man, Government National Mortgage Association, government of the people, by the people, and for the people, Government Printing Office, governmenty, governor, governorate, governor general, governor's council, governorship, Governors Island
Republicans are serving today as the governors of Massachusetts, Maryland, and Vermont while Democrats govern Kansas, Louisiana, and Kentucky.
America needs a democratic revolution|Matthew Yglesias|September 17, 2020|Vox
A reporter asked whether the governor would consider special exceptions like San Diego’s seeking.
Morning Report: Lincoln Abruptly Canceled AP Class|Voice of San Diego|September 17, 2020|Voice of San Diego
So, when the governor calls in the National Guard, it means that the state pays for the soldiers and the use of the equipment.
Mobilizing the National Guard Doesn’t Mean Your State Is Under Martial Law. Usually.|by Logan Jaffe|September 17, 2020|ProPublica
Since then, though, Biden has been clearer that this would be something he would press governors to implement.
Trump’s increasingly overt effort to pretend Biden is actually president|Aaron Blake|September 16, 2020|Washington Post
Stephanopoulos noted Biden called on governors to implement the mandate.
Trump’s incoherent defense of his coronavirus response|Aaron Blake|September 16, 2020|Washington Post
Like many Americans—but few Republican presidential candidates—the former Florida governor has evolved on the issue.
Jeb Bush’s Unseen Anti-Gay Marriage Emails|Jackie Kucinich|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The governor of Punjab province, a Muslim man, called publicly for leniency for her.
In Defense of Blasphemy|Michael Tomasky|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And now, similarly, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee: "Bend over and take it like a prisoner!"
Huckabee 2016: Bend Over and Take It Like a Prisoner!|Olivia Nuzzi|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Duke was a state representative whose neo-Nazi alliances were disgorged in media reports during his run for governor in 1991.
The Price of Steve Scalise’s Silence|Jason Berry|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Abramoff said that the governor needed to remember to “be humble.”
Abramoff’s Advice for Virginia’s New Jailhouse Guv|Tim Mak, Jackie Kucinich|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Burr, in committee, frankly declared that the surplus was to establish a bank, and Governor Jay signed the bill.
The Life of John Marshall Volume 3 of 4|Albert J. Beveridge
What is more, the Sultan looked upon the governor himself as nothing better than a sponge.
The Contemporary Review, Volume 36, December 1879|Various
One of them is now in the possession of the Governor, and tolerably well reconciled to his new master.
A Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay|Watkin Tench
In the first place, one hundred lads were selected and handed over to the governor, as so many apprentices to the sea.
The Crater|James Fenimore Cooper
The assembly was composed of the Governor, the privy counsellors and the burgesses.
The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 11|Various
British Dictionary definitions for governor
governor
/ (ˈɡʌvənə) /
noun
a person who governs
the ruler or chief magistrate of a colony, province, etc
the representative of the Crown in a British colony
Britishthe senior administrator or head of a society, prison, etc
the chief executive of any state in the US
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
Also called: headgrammar
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
(as modifier)a governor noun
Britishinformala name or title of respect for a father, employer, etc