pharaoh
- A ruler of ancient Egypt, regarded as a god-king and the supreme authority of the state.
In a sentence
- The pharaoh commissioned the construction of a massive pyramid as his eternal tomb.
- Ancient Egyptian art frequently depicted the pharaoh as a towering figure dominating his subjects.
Usage note. Spelling is the main challenge: the ending '-aoh' is unusual in English; remember that the word comes from Egyptian through Hebrew and Greek, which explains the odd letter combination.
Where it comes from
English pharaoh — “ancient Egyptian king” · entered English Old English
From Late Latin 'pharao', from Greek 'pharaō', which was borrowed from Hebrew 'par'ōh', itself a rendering of Egyptian 'pr-ʿꜣ' meaning 'great house', referring to the palace and by extension its ruler. The word entered English in the Old English period through Biblical texts. The unusual '-aoh' ending reflects the long journey through multiple ancient languages.