like some pharaoh of a third-world country, more interested in building monuments to himself than in creating a future for his people
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The ancient Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun was buried in a tomb filled with treasure.—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Apr. 2025 Over the decades, their efforts have ranged from restoration projects to excavations to in-depth analysis of the temple, dedicated to the pharaoh Ramses II, or Ramses the Great.—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2025 The Pharaoh Cat Finder is an AI-powered tool that lets animal lovers upload a picture of their cat via Instagram direct message to be analyzed for characteristics similar to those of the pharaohs' cats.—Kelli Bender, People.com, 3 Apr. 2025 In fact, the tomb of the unknown pharaoh is just one of two major recent finds in the Sohag Governorate, as Ahram Online’s Nevine El-Aref points out.—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pharaoh
Word History
Etymology
Middle English pharao, from Old English, from Late Latin pharaon-, pharao, from Greek pharaō, from Hebrew parʽōh, from Egyptian pr-ʽʾ̹
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of pharaoh was
before the 12th century
Old English pharao "pharaoh," from Latin pharaon-, pharao (same meaning), from Greek pharaō (same meaning), from Hebrew par'ōh "pharaoh," of Egyptian origin
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