napoleon

Noun (1)

napoleon (countable and uncountable, plural napoleons)

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

   Synonyms:

   louis, louis d'or, franc germinal

2. (historical, slang) 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.1891, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventure of the Red-Headed League, Norton, published 2005, page 67
3. (usually admiringly derogatory) 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.1894, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, page 260
   • He [sc. McKinley] has been called the Napoleon of protection, as other men have been called Napoleons of finance.1896, J.S. Ogilvie, The Life and Speeches of William McKinley
4. (uncountable) A 19th-century five-card trick-taking game simplified from euchre.

Proper noun capitalized: Napoleon

IPA/nəˈpəʊ.li.ən/

Napoleon

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 (2) capitalized: Napoleon

IPA/nəˈpəʊ.li.ən/

Napoleon (countable and uncountable, plural Napoleons)

1. Alternative letter-case form of napoleon.
   • He [Professor Moriarty] is the Napoleon of crime, Watson.1893, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Final Problem
   • He [William McKinley] has been called the Napoleon of protection, as other men have been called Napoleons of finance.1896, J.S. Ogilvie, “A Biographical Sketch of William McKinley.”, in The Life and Speeches of William McKinley.