Word of the Day

despot • \DESS-putt\ • noun
1 a : a Byzantine emperor or prince b : a bishop or patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church c : an Italian hereditary prince or military leader during the Renaissance
2 a : a ruler with absolute power and authority *b : a person exercising power tyrannically

Example sentence:
"Her spoilt younger sister, Phoebe, is a lip-glossed despot, able to command . . . attention with a flick of her pretty head." (Lisa Allardice, The Daily Telegraph [London], March 22, 2003)