ringleader

See also: ring leader

English

Etymology

ring +‎ leader

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹɪŋˌliːdəɹ/

Noun

ringleader (plural ringleaders)

1. A leader of a group of people, especially an unofficial group.
   • 2017, Allyson Kennedy, Can't Beat the Heart of a Carolina Girl:

     Once, on a confident whim, I approached the group of popular girls in an attempt to broaden my circle. Their ringleader took one glance at my new Aeropostale T-shirt and whispered to her clones, “Yeah, Aero's definitely out now.”

2. A person who starts and leads a disturbance (such as a riot), a conspiracy, or a criminal gang.

   The police arrested the ringleaders of the smuggling operation.

   • 1590, William Shakespeare, King Henry VI, Part 2:

     A sort of naughty persons, lewdly bent, / Under the countenance and confederacy / Of Lady Eleanor, the protector's wife, / The ringleader and head of all this rout, / Have practis'd dangerously against your state...

Translations

leader of a group of people, especially an unofficial group

• Basque: taldeburu, buruzagi (eu), gidari
• Belarusian: важа́к m (važák), павады́р m (pavadýr), верхаво́д m (vjerxavód), завада́тар m (zavadátar)
• Bulgarian: главата́р (bg) m (glavatár)
• French: meneur (fr) m, chef (fr) m, leader (fr)
• German: Anführer (de) m, Anführerin (de) f
• Hungarian: vezér (hu), vezető (hu)
• Polish: prowodyr (pl) m, prowodyrka (pl) f, wodzirej (pl) m, wodzirejka f
• Russian: вожа́к (ru) m (vožák), глава́рь (ru) m (glavárʹ), верхово́д (ru) m (verxovód)
• Spanish: cabecilla (es) m or f
• Tagalog: malahakan
• Ukrainian: ватажо́к (uk) m (vatažók), вожа́к m (vožák), поводи́р m (povodýr), вожа́й m (vožáj), повода́р m (povodár), верхово́д m (verxovód), верхово́да m (verxovóda), вата́г (uk) m (vatáh), ватажко́ (uk) m (vatažkó), приві́дець m (pryvídecʹ)

person who starts and leads a disturbance, a conspiracy, or a criminal gang

• Bulgarian: та́ртор (bg) m (tártor)
• Dutch: raddraaier (nl) m
• French: meneur (fr) m, chef (fr) m, leader (fr)
• German: Rädelsführer (de) m, Rädelsführerin (de) f
• Hungarian: bandavezér (hu), főkolompos (hu)
• Japanese: 首謀者 (しゅぼうしゃ, shubōsha)
• Latin: concitor m
• Manx: ard-veereiltagh m
• Polish: herszt (pl) m, prowodyr (pl) m, prowodyrka (pl) f, wodzirej (pl) m, wodzirejka f
• Russian: зачи́нщик (ru) m (začínščik), зачи́нщица (ru) f (začínščica)
• Swedish: anstiftare (sv) c