poobah
poobah · poobahs
A person who holds multiple offices or positions of power at the same timeA person who holds multiple offices or positions of power at the same time.
/ˈpuːbɑː/
Meaning
3 sensesA person who holds multiple offices or positions of power at the same time.
A leader or other important person.
A pompous, self-important person.
Origin
From Pooh-Bah, a comic character in the Gilbert & Sullivan operetta The Mikado (1885), forFrom Pooh-Bah, a comic character in the Gilbert & Sullivan operetta The Mikado (1885), formed as pooh + bah, both expressing contempt. The character of W. S. Gilbert's libretto is preceded by the character Pish-Tush-Pooh-Bah (described as “haughty”) in “King Borriah Bungalee Boo” (1866), one of the Bab Ballads, with pish and tush being two other terms of contempt.
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Forms
plural: poobahsWord family
4 related wordsDerivedgrand poobah