éminence grise

[Fr. ey-mee-nahns greez]

é·mi·nence grise

[Fr. ey-mee-nahns greez]
noun, plural é·mi·nences grises [Fr. ey-mee-nahns greez] .

Origin:
< French
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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éminence grise is always a great word to know.
So is slumgullion. Does it mean:
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
Collins
World English Dictionary
éminence grise (eminɑ̃s ɡriz)
 
n , pl éminences grises
a person who wields power and influence unofficially or behind the scenes
 
[C19: literally: grey eminence, originally applied to Père Joseph (François Le Clerc du Tremblay; died 1638), French monk, secretary of Cardinal Richelieu]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
éminence grise [(ay-meh-nahns greez)]

A person who wields power behind the scenes: “The king's brother-in-law is his éminence grise; he has enormous influence, though he is rarely in the public eye.” A French term meaning “gray eminence.”

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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