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suzerain

 - 3 dictionary results

su⋅ze⋅rain

  [soo-zuh-rin, -reyn]
Use suzerain in a Sentence
–noun
1. a sovereign or a state exercising political control over a dependent state.
2. History/Historical. a feudal overlord.
–adjective
3. characteristic of or being a suzerain.
Origin:
1800–10; < F, equiv. to sus above (< L sūsum, var. of sursum, contr. of subversum, neut. of subversus upturned; see sub-, verse ) + (souv)erain sovereign
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To suzerain
su·ze·rain   (sōō'zər-ən, -zə-rān')   
n.  

  1. A nation that controls another nation in international affairs but allows it domestic sovereignty.

  2. A feudal lord to whom fealty was due.


[French, from Old French suserain : probably sus, up (from Latin sūrsum, sūsum, upward, from *subsvorsum, turned upward : subs-, sub-, from under; see sub- + vorsum, neuter of vorsus, variant of versus, past participle of vertere, to turn; see versus) + souverein, sovereign; see sovereign.]
su'ze·rain adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

suzerain 
"sovereign, ruler," c.1470 (implied in suzerainty), from O.Fr. sus "up, above" (from V.L. susum, from L. sursum "upward, above," contraction of subversum, from sub "up from below") + vertere "a turning" (see versus). With ending from sovereign.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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