Satrap
//ˈseɪtɹæp// noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A governor of a Persian province. historical
"Eunuchs were chiefly employed in the harems of the king, and his satraps."
- 2 a governor of a province in ancient Persia wordnet
- 3 A subordinate ruler. derogatory, figuratively
"Hey, sir? Sir, excuse me?” The blonde was calling out to him, in imperious tones that insisted on a reply. Her satraps became watchful, like a Praetorian guard."
Example
More examples"Eunuchs were chiefly employed in the harems of the king, and his satraps."
Etymology
From Middle English satrape, from Latin satrapēs (“governor”), from Ancient Greek σατράπης (satrápēs), from Old Median *xšaθrapāvan (literally “kingdom-protector”), which is cognate with Old Persian 𐎧𐏁𐏂𐎱𐎠𐎺𐎠 (xšaçapāvā); see there for more.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.