governor

[ guhv-er-ner, ‑uh-ner ]

noun

1. the executive head of a state in the U.S.
2. a person charged with the direction or control of an institution, society, etc.:

   the governors of a bank; the governor of a prison.

3. Also called governor general. the representative of the crown, as in the Commonwealth of Nations.
4. a ruler or chief magistrate appointed to govern a province, town, fort, or the like.
5. Machinery. a device for maintaining uniform speed regardless of changes of load, as by regulating the supply of fuel or working fluid.
6. British Informal.
   1. one's father.
   2. one's employer.
   3. any man of superior rank or status.

governor

/ 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. 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 calledhead grammar
   1. 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
   2. ( as modifier )

      a governor noun

8. informal.
   a name or title of respect for a father, employer, etc

Pronunciation Note

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] of [guhv, -er-ner], producing the pronunciation [guhv, -, uh, -ner]. This pronunciation is heard even in regions where postvocalic [r] is not usually dropped. A further loss, of the medial unstressed vowel, results in [guhv, -ner]. All three pronunciations are standard. See colonel, February, library.

Other Words From

• sub·gover·nor noun
• under·gover·nor noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of governor¹

1250–1300; Middle English governour < Old French governeor, gouverneur < Latin gubernātōrem, accusative of gubernātor, equivalent to gubernā(re) to steer, govern + -tor -tor

Example Sentences

In fact, lawmakers passed and the governor signed legislation to do away with the work requirement this year, but it was contingent on voter approval of Proposition 6.

From Los Angeles Times

Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey reiterated earlier in the week that future interest rate falls would be “gradual”.

From BBC

But the younger Bawumia had forged a career in economics and banking - serving as the deputy governor of Ghana's central bank.

From BBC

A former governor of Maryland, O’Malley visited field offices whenever he could and recalls the wide variety of problems his agency exists to alleviate.

From Salon

The governor and the proposition’s opponents argued that crime actually was declining in California.

From Los Angeles Times