bey
n. countablen. a ruler or leader in some Muslim countries, especially in the past. You might see this word in history books or stories about the Ottoman Empire.
n. a Turkish or Muslim ruler, prince, or nobleman; historically the sovereign of the Ottoman Empire. Archaic in modern general English; now primarily used in historical or literary contexts.
The bey ruled the province with strict authority.
The local bey collected taxes from the farmers and reported directly to the Sultan in Constantinople.
As the Ottoman Empire declined, regional beys gained increasing autonomy, effectively becoming independent warlords who controlled their own territories and armies.
Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish بك (bey, “gentleman, chief”), from Old Anatolian Turkish بك (beg, “ruler”), from Proto-Turkic *bēg (“lord”). See there for more.