# governor

Pronunciation: US say "GUV-ur-nur" /ˈɡʌvɚnɚ/; UK say "GUV-uh-nuh" /ˈɡʌv(ə)nə(ɹ)/

## Noun

1. The official who heads the government of a state, province, territory, or colony, either elected, as in US states, or appointed to represent a monarch or central government.
   - Simple: The person who leads a state, province, or colony, either chosen by voters or sent by a king, queen, or government.
   - _The governor vetoed the budget passed by the state legislature._
   - _Each state elects its own governor to a fixed term of office._
2. A member of a decision-making body for a large organization or public agency, similar to a member of a board of directors, used especially of banks.
   - Simple: A person who helps run a large organization as a member of its board.
   - _The board of governors voted to approve next year's budget._
   - _She was the only governor on the central bank's board to vote against raising interest rates._
3. The head of an institution, for example a country's central bank or, in British use, a prison.
   - Simple: The person in charge of an organization such as a country's central bank or, in Britain, a prison.
   - _Markets rallied after the central bank governor hinted that interest rates would fall._
   - _The governor of the prison resigned after inspectors criticized conditions in the cells._
4. A device that automatically regulates or controls an action of a machine through feedback.
   - Simple: A part that automatically controls how fast a machine runs, keeping it steady or stopping it going too fast.
   - _On a diesel generator, the governor adjusts the fuel supply so the engine keeps a steady speed as the load changes._
   - _Mechanics adjusted the governor to cap the delivery truck's top speed._
5. The person one works for; one's boss or employer. *(colloquial, UK)*
   - Simple: The boss, or the person you work for.
   - _Better check with the governor before you order more stock._
   - _The governor docked his pay for showing up late again._

## Noun

6. A form of address used when speaking to a man, often a customer or someone regarded as being in charge. *(dated, UK)*
   - Simple: A word used to address a man, especially a customer or someone in charge.
   - _Carry your bags up to the platform, governor?_
   - _Anything else I can get you, governor?_
7. A person's own father (the parent himself, not a guardian or tutor), often spoken of as "the governor". *(dated)*
   - Simple: A person's father or dad.
   - _'The governor has agreed to pay my debts,' he told his brother, 'as long as I never go near a card table again.'_
   - _At the club he complained that his governor had threatened to cut him off without a penny unless he married._
8. A person responsible for the care, guardianship, or tutoring of a young man. *(dated)*
   - Simple: A person who looks after or teaches a young man.
   - _The young lord's governor accompanied him on the grand tour._
   - _His parents engaged a strict governor to oversee his studies._

## Other meanings

- (noun) A word or constituent in a phrase that grammatically governs another, determining its form.
- (noun) A person who steers a vessel and directs its course; a pilot or helmsman.

## Origin

It came through Old French from Latin gubernator, "steersman," which was built on a Greek word meaning "to steer." So a governor is like someone who steers.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/governor (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).