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napoleon

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Napoleon¹

  • /nəˈpəʊ.li.ən/

Where it comes from

From French Napoléon, from Italian Napoleone, name of an early saint, of uncertain origin; possibly from the Germanic clan name Nibelung. By folk etymology explained as Napoli (“Naples”) + leone (“lion”).

proper noun

  1. Napoleon Bonaparte (1769–1821), a French military commander and political leader.
  2. A male given name from Italian sometimes given in honor of the French emperor.
  3. A village in Silesia, Poland.
  4. A ghost town in Arkansas.
  5. A town in Indiana.
  6. An unincorporated community in Kentucky.
  7. A township and census-designated place therein, in Jackson County, Michigan.
  8. An unincorporated community in Mississippi.
  9. A city in Missouri.
  10. A city, the county seat of Logan County, North Dakota.
  11. A city, the county seat of Henry County, Ohio.
  12. A township in Henry County, Ohio.
  13. A surname.

noun Napoleons

  1. countable, uncountable Alternative letter-case form of napoleon He [Professor Moriarty] is the Napoleon of crime, Watson.

napoleon²

  • /nəˈpəʊlɪən/ UK
  • /nəˈpoʊli.ən/ US
  • /nəˈpoʊljn/ US
  • /nəˈpoʊljən/ US

Rhymes with -əʊliən

Where it comes from

Borrowed from French Napoléon (“a given name, usually in reference to Napoleon Bonaparte”). In reference to coins, via French napoléon (“(slang) a coin that originally had the appearance of Napoleon's face in the obverse”). In reference to guns and possibly cards, a reference to Napoleon III.

noun napoleons · Napoleon

  1. countable, historical, slang, uncountable The franc germinal: a 20-franc gold coin issued under Napoleon I of France.

    Similar: louis, louis d'or, franc germinal

  2. countable, historical, slang, uncountable Other subsequent 20-franc coins, notes, or values. We had occasion some months ago to strengthen our resources, and borrowed, for that purpose, thirty thousand napoleons from the Bank of France.
  3. countable, uncountable A person resembling Napoleon Bonaparte, (usually) in having come to dominate an area or sphere of activity through ruthlessness or illegality as well as surpassing ability. He [sc. James Moriarty] is the Napoleon of crime, Watson. He is the organizer of half that is evil and of nearly all that is undetected in this great city [sc. London]. He is a genius, a philosopher, an abstract thinker.
  4. abbreviation, clipping, countable, obsolete, uncountable Clipping of Napoleon boot, a form of topboot worn by officers during the Napoleonic Wars. Always an eloquent speaker, Polk became known as the Napoleon of the stump.
  5. abbreviation, clipping, countable, historical, uncountable Clipping of Napoleon gun, a 12-pounder cannon first used by the Second French Empire.
  6. uncountable A 19th-century five-card trick-taking game simplified from euchre.
  7. abbreviation, clipping, uncountable Clipping of double napoleon, a form of patience/solitaire.
  8. UK, alternative, countable, obsolete, rare, slang Alternative form of nap: a horse to go nap on, a sure thing, a certain winner; a prediction of such a horse; a bet on such a horse.
  9. abbreviation, clipping, countable, uncountable Clipping of Napoleon bigarreau, a variety of the white-fleshed bigarreau cherry; a variety of cherry tree bearing such fruit.
  10. abbreviation, clipping, countable, uncountable Clipping of Napoleon cake, another name for a millefeuille pastry. Fascinated, Miss Manvers thrust aside a garnished plate, took a gulp of the decoction called coffee, and attacked her napoleon.

    Similar: custard slice, vanilla slice, mille-feuille, millefeuille

  11. abbreviation, clipping, countable, rare, uncountable Clipping of Napoleon brandy, any excellent brandy; a serving of such a brandy.
  12. abbreviation, countable, ellipsis, uncountable Ellipsis of Napoleon slice

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: napoleon bonaparte, napoleon i, napoleonic, bonaparte, conqueror, monarch, dictator, emperor, autocrat, warlord, ruler, chieftain, sovereign, strategist, usurper, imperator

Translations

Every language

name Napoleon Bonaparte

EspañolNapoleón
日本語ナポレオン Naporeon
中文拿破侖 /拿破仑 Nápòlún
हिन्दीनेपोलियन nepoliyan
PortuguêsNapoleão
FrançaisNapoléon
DeutschNapoleon
ItalianoNapoleone
ΕλληνικάΝαπολέων Napoléon
RomânăNapoleon
РусскийНаполео́н Napoleón
Tiếng ViệtNã Phá Luân, Napôlêông
العربيةنَابُلْيُون nabulyūn
עבריתנפוליאון

name male given name

中文拿破侖 /拿破仑 Nápòlún
PortuguêsNapoleão
FrançaisNapoléon
ItalianoNapoleone
RomânăNapoleon
РусскийНаполео́н Napoleón
Tiếng ViệtNã Phá Luân, Napôlêông

noun 20-franc gold goin

Españolnapoleón
Italianonapoleone, marengo
Русскийнаполеондо́р napoleondór, наполео́н napoleón

noun a person resembling Napoleon Bonaparte

РусскийНаполео́н Napoleón

noun 12-pounder cannon of the Second French Empire

Русскийнаполео́н napoleón

noun millefeuille pastry

Русскийнаполео́н napoleón

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Cite this
MLA

"napoleon." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/napoleon. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

napoleon. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/napoleon

Chicago

"napoleon." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/napoleon.

BibTeX
@misc{napoleon_2026,
  title = {napoleon},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/napoleon},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}