laird

Meanings

Noun

• The owner of a Scottish estate; a member of the landed gentry, a landowner.
• Often in the form Laird of, followed by a patronymic: a Scottish clan chief.

Verb

• Chiefly as laird it over: to behave like a laird, particularly to act haughtily or to domineer; to lord (it over).

Origin

• The noun is borrowed from Scots laird, from northern or Scottish Middle English lard, laverd, a variant of lord. The verb is derived from the noun.