Also spelled vice-roys

US /ˈvaɪsˌrɔɪ/ UK /ˈvaɪsrɔɪ/
noun Freq #18373

Meanings

  1. 1
    noun

    a governor who rules a country, colony, or province as the representative of a monarch

    The viceroy governed Peru in the Spanish monarch's name.

  2. 2
    noun

    a North American butterfly that resembles the monarch but is usually smaller and has a black line across each hindwing

    The dark transverse stripe helped the naturalist identify the butterfly as a viceroy.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 noun · a governor who rules a... royal governorgovernor-generalregent
2 noun · a north american butterfly... viceroy butterflyLimenitis archippus
Opposites
Word family
Forms viceroys
Derived forms viceroyalviceroyalty

Etymology

From Middle French vice-roi, combining vice- ('in place of, deputy') with roi ('king'). The butterfly was named for another royal rank because it resembles the monarch butterfly.

Topics

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