nabob

UK: /ˈneɪbɒb/ US: /ˈneɪbɑb/ ,(nā′bob)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

na•bob /ˈneɪbɑb/   n. [countable]

1. a very wealthy, influential, or powerful person.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

na•bob  (nā′bob), n. 

1. any very wealthy, influential, or powerful person.
2. British Empire Also, nawab. a person, esp. a European, who has made a large fortune in India or another country of the East.
3. British Empire, Government nawab (def. 1).

• Hindi nawāb. See nawab
• 1605–15;

na•bob•er•y  (nā′bob ə rē, nā bob′ə rē), na′bob•ism, n.  na′bob•ish, na•bob′i•cal, adj. 
na′bob•ish•ly, na′bob•i•cal•ly, adv. 
na′bob•ship′, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

nabob / ˈneɪbɒb/ noun

1. a rich, powerful, or important person
2. (formerly) a European who made a fortune in India
3. another name for a nawab

Etymology: 17th Century: from Portuguese nababo, from Hindi nawwāb; see nawab