princes

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of prince.

   The rival princes each claimed the empty throne after their father's death.

   Several European princes attended the coronation as honored guests.

   Note

   A plural that holds every kind of prince at once: rulers of principalities, sons and grandsons of a monarch, holders of a high noble title in France or the Holy Roman Empire, and people preeminent in their field. Context alone tells them apart, so "the princes of Europe" and "princes of the stage" need no extra marking. Archaically it could also mean sovereigns in general, kings included.

2. 2
   verbrare

   Third-person singular simple present indicative of prince. Rare.

   Note

   A rare verb with two uses. Used intransitively, it means carrying oneself like a prince; used transitively, it means making someone a prince. Because it shares its spelling with the plural noun, position decides which word you have. After a subject it is the verb (she princes around the room). After a number or determiner it is the noun (two princes).

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