pharaoh

Alternative forms

• pharao (the supreme ruler of ancient Egypt)
• Pharaoh (the supreme ruler of ancient Egypt)
• pharaon (archaic)

Etymology

From Middle English pharao (also as pharaon, farao, faraon, etc.), from Old English pharao, from Late Latin Pharaō, from Ancient Greek Φαραώ (Pharaṓ), from Hebrew פַּרְעֹה (par‘ōh), from Egyptian pr-ꜥꜣ (“palace, pharaoh”, literally “pr (“house”) + ꜥꜣ (“great, big”)”).

Pronunciation

• (UK, General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈfɛː.ɹəʊ/, /ˈfɛə.ɹəʊ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈfæɹ.oʊ/, /ˈfɛ(ə)ɹ.oʊ/
• Rhymes: (UK, General Australian) -ɛːɹəʊ, (UK, US, General Australian) -ɛəɹəʊ, (US) -æɹəʊ
• Homophones: faro, Faroe
• Homophone: Ferro (only in accents with the Mary-marry-merry merger)
• Hyphenation: pha‧raoh

Noun

pharaoh (countable and uncountable, plural pharaohs)

2. (historical) The supreme ruler of Ancient Egypt; a formal address for the sovereign seat of power as personified by the "king" in an institutional role of Horus son of Osiris; often used by metonymy for Ancient Egyptian sovereignty

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:pharaoh

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus 14:18, column 1:

     And the Egyptians ſhall know that I am the Lord, when I haue gotten me honour vpon Pharaoh, vpon his charets, and vpon his horſemen.

3. (uncountable, card games) The card game faro.
   • 1945, Robert Hardy Andrews, Burning gold:

     "I pray, when I play pharaoh at White's, that the cards fall as they have come to my hand in this large gamble," Anstis said.