Dictionary

mayor en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈmeɪ̯.ɚ/ (General-American)
• (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈmɛə̯/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• audio
• /ˈmɛɚ/ some US dialects such as Chicago
• /ˈmɛɹ/ some US dialects such as Chicago

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂s Proto-Indo-European *-yōs Proto-Indo-European *méǵyōs Proto-Italic *majjōs Latin maior Old French mairebor. Middle English maire English mayor From Middle English maire, from Old French maire (“head of a city or town government”), a substantivation of Old French maire (“greater”), from Latin maior (“bigger, greater, superior”), comparative of magnus (“big, great”). Doublet of major. Cognate with Old High German meior (“estate manager, steward, bailiff”) (modern German Meier), Middle Dutch meier (“administrator, steward, bailiff”) (modern Dutch meier). Displaced Old English burgealdor (“a ruler of a city, mayor, citizen”), burhġerēfa (“boroughreeve”), and portġerēfa (“portreeve”).

Meanings

1. The chief executive of the municipal government of a city, borough, etc., formerly (historical) usually appointed as a caretaker by European royal courts but now usually appointed or elected locally.
   • Carver: What the hell d'you say to him? Hauk: I said "Mr Mayor that's a good strong dick you've got there and I see you know how to use it." I didn't say shit! 2006, Ed Burns et al., “"Soft Eyes"”, in The Wire, season 4, episode 2:
   • Quimby: I propose that I use what's left of the town treasury to move to a more prosperous town and run for mayor and once selected I will send for the rest of you. All: Boo! 1993 Dec. 16, Bill Oakley et al., “"$pringfield"”, in The Simpsons, season 5, episode 10:
   • While Buckley would later privately describe Chicago's Mayor Daley as a Fascist, he was not willing to let Vidal use the police to vindicate the demonstrators, who, in Buckley's mind, had provoked much of the violence. 1988, John B. Judis, William F. Buckley Jr.: Patron Saint of the Conservatives, page p. 291:
   • When the burdens of the Presidency seem unusually heavy, I always remind myself that it could be worse—I could be a mayor of a city instead. 1966 Mar. 31, Lyndon B. Johnson, Remarks before the National Legislative Conference of the National League of Cities:
   • The office of mayor has been the tomb of many political ambitions. 1907 Sept. 12, The Nation, page 222:
2. (abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, historical) Ellipsis of mayor of the palace, the royal stewards of the Frankish Empire.
   alt of mayor of the palace
3. (historical) Synonym of mair, various former officials in the Kingdom of Scotland.
4. (Ireland, obsolete, rare) A member of a city council.
5. (historical, obsolete) A high justice, an important judge.
6. (US) A largely ceremonial position in some municipal governments that presides over the city council while a contracted city manager holds actual executive power.
7. (figuratively, humorous) A local VIP, a muckamuck or big shot reckoned to lead some local group.
   • The Mayor of Castro Street, that was Harvey's unofficial title. 1982, Randy Shilts, The Mayor of Castro Street
   • In some parts the burlesque civic official was designated ‘Mayor of the Pig Market’. 1902 May 22, Westminster Gazette, p. 2

Forms

Deriveds

mayorhood · weak mayor · mayor's banquet · mayor-town · mayoress · mayory · mayorly · mayorship · mayor's court · mayor-council · mayor-making · mayor's peer · mayor-choosing · mayorlike · mayor's feast · mayor-corn · mayorial · mayorsfeud · mayoral · lady mayor · mayorless · mayorlet · lord mayor · mayordom · mayoralty · supermayor

Descendants

mayor · meya · מייאָר · meya

Hyponyms

lord mayor · Lord Mayor · Lady Mayor · lady mayor · mayoress

Synonyms

boroughmaster (head of a town) · praetor (head of a town) · various former officials in the Kingdom of Scotland · boroughreeve (head of a town) · portreeve (head of a town) · mayoress (when distinguished) · mair · provost (head of a town) · burgomaster (head of a town) · Lord Provost (head of a town)

Translations (171)

tg мэр (leader of a city) · uk ме́рка (leader of a city) · gv meoir (leader of a city) · kmr şaredar (leader of a city) · nn ordførarinne (leader of a city) · lo ນາຍົກເທສະມົນຕີ (leader of a city) · nl burgemeester (leader of a city) · tk mer (leader of a city) · pl burmistrzyni (leader of a city) · it sindaca (leader of a city) · sk starosta (leader of a city) · az icra başçısı (leader of a city) · ar عُمْدَة (leader of a city) · it sindaco (leader of a city) · ru градонача́льница (leader of a city) · ps ښاروال (leader of a city) · pl prezydent miasta (leader of a city) · akk ḫazannum (leader of a city) · pt prefeito (leader of a city) · vo sifal (leader of a city) · ru бургоми́стр (leader of a city) · vi thị trưởng (leader of a city) · gd probhaist (leader of a city) · ilo basar (leader of a city) · ms datuk bandar (leader of a city) · es intendente (leader of a city) · kk қалабасы (leader of a city) · da borgmester (leader of a city) · bg градонача́лница (leader of a city) · my မြို့တော်ဝန် (leader of a city) · oc cònsol (leader of a city) · sw meya (leader of a city) · fo borgarstjóri (leader of a city) · bg градонача́лничка (leader of a city) · tg шаҳрдор (leader of a city) · qu kamachiq (leader of a city) · gl alcaldesa (leader of a city) · be мэр (leader of a city) · da borgmesterinde (leader of a city) · tr belediye başkanı (leader of a city) · mt sindku (leader of a city) · he רֹאשׁ עִיר (leader of a city) · sh gradonáčelnīk (leader of a city) · gd mèar (leader of a city) · rsk городоначалнїк (leader of a city) · rsk городоначалнїца (leader of a city) · nb borgermester (leader of a city) · az mer (leader of a city) · dsb šołta (leader of a city) · ro primar (leader of a city) · mk градоначалничка (leader of a city) · mr महापौर (leader of a city) · bg кмет (leader of a city) · vo hisifal (leader of a city) · cy maer (leader of a city) · gl alcalde (leader of a city) · myv ошазор (leader of a city) · aii ܪܹܝܫ ܡܕܝܼܢ݇ܬܵܐ (leader of a city) · hu főpolgármester (leader of a city) · sh градона́челнӣк (leader of a city) · kk мэр (leader of a city) · hi मेयर (leader of a city) · ug شەھەر باشلىقى (leader of a city) · sl županja (leader of a city) · ceb mayor (leader of a city) · it primo cittadino (leader of a city) · he ראש עירייה \ רֹאשׁ עִירִיָּה (leader of a city) · bg градонача́лник (leader of a city) · vec prefeto (leader of a city) · ast alcaldesa (leader of a city) · es síndico (leader of a city) · ga méara (leader of a city) · ky шаарбашы (leader of a city) · ru мэр (leader of a city) · lv mēre (leader of a city) · mk градоначалница (leader of a city) · eu alkate (leader of a city) · nrf maire (leader of a city) · dsb šołtowka (leader of a city) · se sátnejođiheaddji (leader of a city) · kl borgmesteri (leader of a city) · se bormeašttir (leader of a city) · io urbestro (leader of a city) · sv borgmästare (leader of a city) · ca batllessa (leader of a city) · es alcalde (leader of a city) · sq kryebashkiak (leader of a city) · fa-ira شَهْرْدار (leader of a city) · hy քաղաքապետ (leader of a city) · uk мер (leader of a city) · pl burmistrz (leader of a city) · hsb měšćanosta (leader of a city) · cs starostka (leader of a city) · lt merė (leader of a city) · ur رَئِیسِ بَلْدِیَہ (leader of a city) · de Bürgermeister (leader of a city) · de Bürgermeisterin (leader of a city) · el δημαρχίνα (leader of a city) · ca alcaldessa (leader of a city) · ca batlle (leader of a city) · is borgarstjóri (leader of a city) · cmn 市長 /市长 (leader of a city) · jv walikutha (leader of a city) · is bæjarstjóri (leader of a city) · nb borgermesterinne (leader of a city) · ro primăriță (leader of a city) · ja 市長 (leader of a city) · sh gradonáčelnica (leader of a city) · yi מייאָר (leader of a city) · ur میئَر (leader of a city) · hi महापौर (leader of a city) · mn ᠬᠣᠲᠠ ᠶᠢᠨ ᠳᠠᠷᠤᠭ᠎ᠠ (leader of a city) · th นายกเทศมนตรี (leader of a city) · eo urbestro (leader of a city) · br maer (leader of a city) · nn ordførar (leader of a city) · fi kaupunginjohtaja (leader of a city) · ast alcalde (leader of a city) · ia burgomaestro (leader of a city) · fr mairesse (leader of a city) · uz mer (leader of a city) · mn хотын дарга (leader of a city) · bar Buagamasta (leader of a city) · nb ordførerinne (leader of a city) · fr bourgmestre (leader of a city) · ky мэр (leader of a city) · pt presidente da câmara (leader of a city) · es síndica (leader of a city) · sl župan (leader of a city) · nn borgarmeister (leader of a city) · fr maire (leader of a city) · es alcaldesa (leader of a city) · th นายก (leader of a city) · et linnapea (leader of a city) · tl alkalde (leader of a city) · ru градонача́льник (leader of a city) · nb ordfører (leader of a city) · rcf mèr (leader of a city) · it prima cittadina (leader of a city) · vec sìndico (leader of a city) · be мэ́рка (leader of a city) · es presidente municipal (leader of a city) · lt meras (leader of a city) · mk градоначалник (leader of a city) · ceb alkalde (leader of a city) · sk starostka (leader of a city) · eu auzapez (leader of a city) · lb Buergermeeschter (leader of a city) · kmr şaredar (leader of a city) · id wali kota (leader of a city) · fi pormestari (leader of a city) · sv borgmästarinna (leader of a city) · mi mea (leader of a city) · fi määri (leader of a city) · yue 市長 /市长 (leader of a city) · az icra hakimiyyəti başçısı (leader of a city) · es regente (leader of a city) · ro primăreasă (leader of a city) · km ចៅហ្វាយក្រុង (leader of a city) · bg кмети́ца (leader of a city) · ko 시장 (leader of a city) · hu polgármester (leader of a city) · lv mērs (leader of a city) · yi בירגערמײַסטער (leader of a city) · vo jisifal (leader of a city) · akk hazannātum (leader of a city) · ca alcalde (leader of a city) · el δήμαρχος (leader of a city) · ka მერი (leader of a city) · sh градона́челница (leader of a city) · cs starosta (leader of a city)