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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

napoleon en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /nəˈpəʊlɪən/ (UK)
  • /nəˈpoʊli.ən/ (US)
  • /nəˈpoʊljn/ (US)
  • /nəˈpoʊljən/ (US)

Etymology

Borrowed from French Napoléon (“a given name, usually in reference to Napoleon Bonaparte”). In reference to coins, via French napoléon (“(slang) a coin that originally had the appearance of Napoleon's face in the obverse”). In reference to guns and possibly cards, a reference to Napoleon III.

Meanings

  1. (countable, historical, slang, uncountable) The franc germinal: a 20-franc gold coin issued under Napoleon I of France.
  2. (countable, historical, slang, uncountable) Other subsequent 20-franc coins, notes, or values.
    • We had occasion some months ago to strengthen our resources, and borrowed, for that purpose, thirty thousand napoleons from the Bank of France. 1891, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventure of the Red-Headed League, Norton, published 2005, page 67:
  3. (countable, qualifier:usually admiringly derogatory, uncountable) A person resembling Napoleon Bonaparte, (usually) in having come to dominate an area or sphere of activity through ruthlessness or illegality as well as surpassing ability.
    • He [sc. McKinley] has been called the Napoleon of protection, as other men have been called Napoleons of finance. 1896, J.S. Ogilvie, The Life and Speeches of William McKinley:
    • He [sc. James Moriarty] is the Napoleon of crime, Watson. He is the organizer of half that is evil and of nearly all that is undetected in this great city [sc. London]. He is a genius, a philosopher, an abstract thinker. 1894, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, page 260:
  4. (abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, countable, obsolete, uncountable) Clipping of Napoleon boot, a form of topboot worn by officers during the Napoleonic Wars.
    • Always an eloquent speaker, Polk became known as the Napoleon of the stump. 2011, Robert Morgan, Lions of the West::
  5. (abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, countable, historical, uncountable) Clipping of Napoleon gun, a 12-pounder cannon first used by the Second French Empire.
  6. (uncountable) A 19th-century five-card trick-taking game simplified from euchre.
  7. (abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, uncountable) Clipping of double napoleon, a form of patience/solitaire.
  8. (UK, alt-of, alternative, countable, obsolete, rare, slang, uncountable) Alternative form of nap: a horse to go nap on, a sure thing, a certain winner; a prediction of such a horse; a bet on such a horse.
    alt of nap
  9. (abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, countable, uncountable) Clipping of Napoleon bigarreau, a variety of the white-fleshed bigarreau cherry; a variety of cherry tree bearing such fruit.
  10. (abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, countable, uncountable) Clipping of Napoleon cake, another name for a millefeuille pastry.
    • Fascinated, Miss Manvers thrust aside a garnished plate, took a gulp of the decoction called coffee, and attacked her napoleon. 1914 November, Louis Joseph Vance, “An Outsider […]”, in Munsey’s Magazine, volume LIII, number II, New York, N.Y.: The Frank A[ndrew] Munsey Company, […], published 1915, →OCLC, chapter I (Anarchy), page 373, column 1:
  11. (abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, countable, rare, uncountable) Clipping of Napoleon brandy, any excellent brandy; a serving of such a brandy.
  12. (abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable) Ellipsis of Napoleon slice.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
napoleons Number=Plur lexicographic
Napoleon alternative lexicographic

Deriveds

Napoleon brandy · Napoleon bigarreau · napoleon cherry · napoleon brandy · Napoleon cherry · Napoleon pastry · Napoleon gun · napoleon bigarreau · nap · napoleon cake · Napoleon Bigarreau · napoleon boot · Napoleon boot · Napoleon cake · double Napoleon · napoleon pastry · double napoleon · napoleon gun

Relateds

napoleonka

Synonyms

mille-feuille (pastry) · louis (gold coin) · louis d'or (gold coin) · franc germinal (gold coin) · vanilla slice (pastry) · custard slice (pastry) · millefeuille (pastry)

Translations (13)

pl napoleon (20-franc gold goin) · it napoleone (20-franc gold goin) · pl Napoleon (a person resembling Napoleon Bonaparte) · it marengo (20-franc gold goin) · ru наполео́н (12-pounder cannon of the Second French Empire) · ru наполео́н (20-franc gold goin) · ru Наполео́н (a person resembling Napoleon Bonaparte) · sq napolon (20-franc gold goin) · pl napoleon (12-pounder cannon of the Second French Empire) · ru наполеондо́р (20-franc gold goin) · pl napoleonka (millefeuille pastry) · ru наполео́н (millefeuille pastry) · pl napoleondor (20-franc gold goin)

wikipedia: Napoleon III