oba

[ aw-buh ]

noun

1. a hereditary tribal ruler among various peoples in the Benin region of western Africa.

oba

/ ˈɔːbɑː; -bə /

noun

1. (in W Africa) a Yoruba chief or ruler

Word History and Origins

Origin of oba¹

First recorded in 1900–05, oba is from the Edo word ɔ́bá

Example Sentences

The “Oba-Mao” T-shirts on souvenir stands around town were sellouts and his entourage snarled traffic for miles.

From The Daily Beast

Yoritomo, having been defeated in a battle against Oba Kage-chika, was forced to retreat with six of his followers.

From Project Gutenberg

Oba Kagetoki departed, none too pleased with the mission, for he had once been on friendly terms with Yoritomo.

From Project Gutenberg