dauphin Hear it!

dauphin definition

dau·phin (dô′fin, dō′-; Fr dō fan′)

noun

the eldest son of the king of France: a title used from 1349 to 1830

Etymology: Fr, lit., dolphin: used as a proper name by the counts of Vienne, and hence as a title by the oldest son of the king after the province of Dauphiné was ceded to the crown

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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