Voivode
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A local ruler or official in various parts of central and eastern Europe, especially early semi-independent rulers of Transylvania.
"George Sechell[…], having been defeated in a battle by the Vayvoda of Transylvania, and taken Prisoner, was for three days together tied naked to a wooden horse, exposed to all manner of tortures, any man might devise against him[…]."
- 2 An administrative chief in modern Poland.
Example
More examples"George Sechell[…], having been defeated in a battle by the Vayvoda of Transylvania, and taken Prisoner, was for three days together tied naked to a wooden horse, exposed to all manner of tortures, any man might devise against him[…]."
Etymology
Variously from a number of Slavic languages including Bulgarian войвода (vojvoda), Czech vojevoda, Polish wojewoda, Russian воево́да (vojevóda), and Serbo-Croatian vojvoda, војвода, all from Proto-Slavic *vojevoda (“army leader; duke; warlord”).
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.